Shades of Amaterasu
by A Tragic Galaxy
Summary: Naoko had everything together. Fourth member of Team 7, last remaining member of the Urutymaya clan, destined to save the world. Shisui just HAD to ruin everything by poking his ever so elongated nose where it didn't belong...
1. Massacre

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto."**

**...**

With quiet halting footsteps he silently entered the room. Dry haunted eyes took in the bloodstained floor, the torn paper walls, the man and woman lying dead in the middle of the room, and the young boy huddled in the corner. At last he allowed a tear to trickle down his cheek. If only he had returned sooner...perhaps?... but no. Nothing he could have done would have prevented this tragedy. It would have happened one way or another, and he could have done nothing to stop it.

With a heavy heart he walked over to the boy and carefully felt for a pulse. Yes, it was there. He should have known Uchiha Itachi would have left this one alive. Gently he lowered his own burden. Brown hair spilled out from the cloak he had wrapped around another survivor. He gently stroked her pale cheeks and laid her down next to the boy.

"They will find you soon," he whispered. "You are the last of your people." He drew a ragged breath as he looked down on the two unconscious children. "You are the only representatives of your clans. You must not fail them."

He heard footsteps outside. Yes, the leaders would find them soon, and then they would be safe. He looked down with compassion on the youngsters and smiled slightly, his gaze lingering on the young girl.

"You are the only hope left of the clan. Only you can return us to our former past. Find them...Naoko."

...

Footsteps clattered on the cobblestones as Shimura Danzo ran through the empty streets. Swerving to the right, he entered one of the buildings. Something was different. He growled softly. He had given specific orders. He should not be sensing a living chakra signature.

His sandals made no sound on the wooden floor as he entered the room. Glaring down at the floor, his eyes took in the two children. Blast! He didn't have time now to deal with them. There was only a little time before the rest of the police came, and every second counted if he were to get ahold of as many sharingan as possible before he was discovered.

A final muttered curse and Danzo stalked out of the room...and stopped suddenly. _Another Uchiha? _Something was wrong. He walked back inside and tested the chakra signature. Definitely powerful, though not one he recognized. Whoever had been in this room had not been a part of the clan. He gave another growl low in his throat and forced himself to leave the room. Whatever had happened had happened. He had no time right now to unravel mysteries. Moving quickly to another house, he soon stood over the body of the previously murdered Uchiha Shisui.

...

One hour later Danzo's right eye and arm were carefully swathed in bandages - a result of the attack by Uchiha Itachi he would say later. A clever lie on his part.

Orders were given to the police force and they were quickly put to work. Danzo said nothing as he made his way over to the house of Uchiha Fugaku. His plan had been delayed, but it would soon be put to rights.

He was shocked to see the hokage kneeling next to the two children.

Danzo blustered a few seconds before finally asking, "What do you want to do with them?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent for a moment, then answered, "Take them to Konoha. See that all necessary measures are taken for their protection." The hokage gave Danzo a long look, as though reading his mind. "See that they reach Konoha _alive_."

Danzo was furious inside, but he hid his anger and gave a slight bow. "Of course." Jabbing his thumb over his shoulder, he indicated for one of the police to take the children. Ruined! His whole plan was in jeopardy now. Then he smiled. No matter, so long as the children never knew of their past, his overall scheme would be safe. He waited until he was alone and smiled at the torn village.

"Five hundred down, three to go," he muttered. Then he laughed.


	2. Dividing Into Teams

**A Tragic Galaxy: "And welcome to the story commentary. I'm your loyal host, providing I can keep my characters off the computer."**

**Nathaniel: "I thought you weren't going to be writing a Naruto story."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Aw, I got bored. 'Sides, someone has to mutate the plot!"**

**Nathaniel: "Just remember, Naruto doesn't belong to you."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Yeah, I know, I know... but I can still keep Sasuke right?"**

**(Nathaniel gives a pointed look.)**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Itachi?"... (Squeaks) "Deidara?"**

**Nathaniel: (Rolls his eyes and shakes his head) "You and your bad guys."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I'm still allowed to lay claim to Suigetsu, aren't I?"**

**Nathaniel: "Review please. Roll film!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Okay, how about I just take Kabuto's younger brother Max?"**

**...**

Urutymaya Naoko jerked the brush through her tangled light brown hair and frowned as she reached another knot. Some days just really didn't work in her favor. She was tempted to throw the brush across the room and forget about looking nice for the day, but today the genin would be divided into teams, and she wanted to look her best. Besides, the hokage was always chiding her for losing her temper, and she was sure that somehow the incident with the brush would be recorded.

"Try not to lose your temper Naoko, keep it inside Naoko, don't let it out on the world Naoko," she muttered in mock imitation of the hokage. "Lame, lame, lame, lame, LAME!" With the final exclamation the brush went flying across the room to hit the wall on the other side.

"So what if I've got anger problems," she yelled at the mirror, "I don't see him doing anything about his own yelling!" Of course, she had only ever heard him yelling at _her_ before, and Iruka Sensei _did_ say Naoko was capable of trying anyone's temper.

Naoko let out a puff of air in frustration and started hacking at her wavy tangles again. She didn't know why she was always so hard kept to hold in her anger, but it seemed nothing could keep her back from a screaming fit when she felt up to it. As kind as Iruka Sensei was to her, even he said that he didn't know whether she or Uzamaki Naruto were more difficult to control.

Naoko sighed and flopped onto the bed. She sulked a moment before deciding that moping around wasn't going to get her anywhere. _Maybe I can train with Sasuke later. He always makes me feel better._

Naoko had started training with Sasuke soon after she had come to the academy. Both children had found they had much in common; they had lost their entire clan, they were alone in the world, they hated working with anyone but each other, they despised crushes, and they were both at the top of their class. Naoko was almost better than Sasuke in fact, but neither held any grudges against the other.

Naoko finished tearing the last knot in her hair apart with her fingers and started piecing together her uniform. For some reason the hokage insisted she have nearly every piece of exposed skin covered, particularly her hands. She never understood it and it was the main source of their many arguments.

Naoko sighed and pulled on a long sleeved shirt - black of course - and carefully adjusted the collar so it covered her neck. Long black stockings went on before the black trousers, and boots covered her feet up to mid calf. Lastly she pulled out a pair of gloves. These at least were fun to wear. Complete with wrist guards, needle storage compartments, and a knife that would stab out from the top based on a trigger movement, she felt completely secure when wearing them.

After finally tying her long hair back and adjusting her glasses, Naoko practically danced out of her room into the hall, ready to take on the world.

...

By the time she reached the classroom, her mood had quickly deteriorated, along with that of several of her classmates. Shikamaru had a bloody nose for asking her on a date and Ino was screaming blue murder for a weighted threat to the blonde's hair. Iruka Sensei was practically shouting at Naoko to hold her temper and Naruto was watching the whole scenario with unmasked enjoyment.

"Naoko, calm down."

Three simple words had a miraculous effect as Sasuke slid into the seat next to her. Naoko shot Naruto a final death glare and took the option of sulking for the rest of the class. Sasuke, as always, was silent after he had taken his seat, for which Naoko was always grateful. She didn't need any more lectures.

"Naoko? Isn't that supposed to mean 'docile child'?" One of the students with a small white puppy asked her snidely.

Naoko glared and stuck her tongue out at him. This was already starting out to be a _wonderful_ day.

Just then there was a high-pitched giggle. Sasuke's frown deepened as a pink haired girl stood next to the desk and said shyly, "Good morning, Sasuke."

Sasuke looked up with as much horror as an emotionless expression could show. Naoko knew his inward groan matched her own. _Great, more fan girls. _

"Mind if I sit next to you?" The pink-haired genin continued.

Naoko's eyes widened and she quickly rose to Sasuke's defense. She didn't have to - Ino quickly stepped in.

"Back off forehead, I'm sitting next to Sasuke," the loud-mouthed blonde exclaimed.

"I was here first," Sakura growled.

_Oh, brother._

"I walked into the classroom before you did, everybody saw it!"

"Dream on!"

"Actually - "

Naoko rolled her eyes as the two continued to argue, causing a troop of other girls to join them. Finally she stood and calmly (for once) left her seat and strolled to the other side of the desk. If she simply sat down on the seat next to Sasuke that was facing the girls, none of this would matter anymore.

...

"Most promising new students, particularly those two," the third Hokage commented as watched the drama unfold. "Urutymaya Naoko and Uchiha Sasuke, are they not?"

"Yes, they are," confirmed Kakashi.

"They're the only survivors of the Uchiha and Urutymaya clans," Kurenai added.

"That's right," the hokage nodded. He didn't need to hear what he already had planned out from the beginning….

...

Naoko had only made it halfway around the table when Naruto suddenly landed on the desk and started glaring daggers at Sasuke. Naoko stood back and grinned. Much as the blond tried, no one could match Sasuke's cold look.

"Naruto! Hey, stop glaring at Sasuke!" a furious Sakura shouted. A whole chorus of angry shouts followed as all the girls in the room took her side.

Naoko rolled her eyes. _Please, he's more than capable of defending himself. _

A sudden move from a kid in front suddenly bumped Naruto forwards. The girl's voices were silenced and Naoko's eyes widened as Naruto was shoved strait into Sasuke - mouth first.

Naoko groaned. _It doesn't get any better than this._ She watched as both boys broke apart shouting and spitting and decided she had held off long enough.

Two minutes later Iruka was yelling at the top of his lungs for her to stop pounding Naruto into the back wall.

...

The hokage couldn't suppress a smile as he watched the Sakura round on Naruto right after Naoko was done. "As usual, Naruto is right in the middle of some kind of trouble." He sighed. "And Naoko has managed to lose her temper again."

...

"As of today, you are all ninjas. To get here you faced difficult trials..."

Naoko listened to Iruka continue and wondered how he managed to sound so proud and carefree after she had just employed Naruto as a battering ram to knock the back wall down. She threw Sasuke a sideways glance and shrugged her apologies for the humiliation he had been put through. Sasuke glared at her and reverted his attention to Iruka.

"Now you are only genin, first level ninjas. All the genin will be grouped into three manned squads. Each squad will be led by a jounin, an elite ninja." Iruka's voice droned on. Naoko never had a very good attention span except when it came to training.

"Well someone's got to be in Sasuke's group," Ino told Sakura venomously. "I wonder _who._"

"I don't know," Sakura said quietly, but Naoko could sense the furious atmosphere churning inside the pink-haired ninja.

_Hmmmm...Three man squad huh? I hope Sasuke and I are on the same team - I don't know how I could deal with a bunch of crazed imbeciles. Pleeease Iruka, do __**not**__ put me with Naruto! He will not live past the first two hours by the time I'm done with him._

"We want each squad to have a balance of strength and abilities, so that's how we set them up," Iruka continued.

_Great, now I know I'm going to be on a team with Naruto._

"I will now announce the squads."

Everyone leaned closer in anticipation, particularly the females as several looked back hopefully at Sasuke. Several squads were listed, none mentioning Naoko or Sasuke. With a shudder Naoko considered that Naruto hadn't been listed either. _No..._

"...Squad seven: Naruto Uzamaki, Sakura Haruno..."

Naruto let out a cheer and Sakura bowed her head in defeat. Naoko waited anxiously.

_Don't you dare..._

"...Sasuke Uchiha..."

Sakura let out a high-pitched scream that no girl in her right mind should be able to produce. Naoko winced. _Sorry, Sas._

"...And Naoko Urutymaya."

A thunderclap may as well have shattered the sky as Naoko stared dumbfounded at Iruka Sensei. To have a team of four? That was impossible! There had never been a squad of four ninjas in the history of Konoha! Naoko's eyes widened. And she was stuck with Naruto...!

Naruto's glare at Sasuke turned into an expression of panic as he met Naoko's cold gaze.

_You're goin' down, Naruto. You're goin' down._

...

Naoko waited until the others had left before approaching Iruka.

"Iruka Sensei?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, Naoko?" he said amiably.

Naoko smiled. No matter how troubled she was (or how much trouble she was in), somehow Iruka always made her feel welcome. She took a deep breath. "I was wondering if there was a mistake in the squads."

"You mean since you were placed into a team of four?" Iruka asked understandingly.

"Yeeah, and..." she hesitated. "Why was I placed on the same team as Sasuke? I mean, it's not like I don't want to be there," she hurriedly explained, "it's just, well, you said we were supposed to balance out the others on our team. Sasuke and I are the two best in the class, so shouldn't we have been separated?" Naoko knew she was tempting fate, but she had to know what was going on.

Iruka put down the books he was carrying and pulled over a chair. "Naoko, you've always had very...special talents," he said carefully. Naoko blushed, knowing her temper was a part of what he was speaking of.

"You need to be on a team that will help you control that," Iruka told her gently.

"How am I supposed to control it if I feel ready to kill Naruto?" Naoko blurted out.

Iruka smiled. "Perhaps by learning _not_ to kill him."

Naoko sighed. "And the team of four?"

Iruka laughed. "We had an extra student. Kakashi was the only one willing to try and train four genin at once."

Naoko frowned and shrugged. "So you said it. I'm doomed."

Iruka smiled encouragingly. "Well, not yet at least."

...

Naoko left the building just in time to see Sasuke running for the restrooms like his life depended on it. _Sasuke? Wait a minute..._ A sudden suspicion niggled her brain. She peered closer, straining to read the ninja's chakra. There was a slight pressure against her eyes, and as she poured chakra into it, the pressure exploded!

Suddenly it was as though the world jumped out at her in iridescent shades of black and red. Sasuke morphed before her eyes, revealing Naruto Uzamaki. Naoko gasped as she looked around. The colors of the world had changed. Trees bore black leaves veined in red, shining with obsidian bark. Sakura was staring at her, her appearance the same as the colors around her.

Naoko didn't wait any longer but turned and ran towards Sasuke's house. She had a friend to rescue...and a deep topic to discuss with the hokage.

...

Sarutobi was by no means unastounded to see Naoko burst into his office followed minutes later by several uncertain security guards.

"How did she get in here?" one of them asked as his gaze flitted from Naoko to the hokage. He looked to the other security guards. "I...I didn't see her..."

Looking from guard to guard, Sarutobi realized the same was for all of them. "Leave us for a moment," he said.

"S-sir, I don't know what happened," Naoko said breathlessly. The girl was beginning to hypervenalate. "It just...and then it...and I was just trying...and...and I don't even know how I got this way!"

The hokage quickly called to one of the guards outside to bring in some tea, then gently guided the flustered Naoko to a chair.

"Here, let me see it," he said softly, pulling on a pair of gloves and tilting Naoko's chin up.

His suspicions were correct. A single tomoe could be made out against a red iris - but it was swirling around in an irregular fashion Sarutobi knew to be virtually impossible. It was as though the tomoe was following the circle of Naoko's iris. It was traveling so fast it had been difficult for Sarutobi to locate it in the first place.

"How long has this been going on?" he asked as he studied the girl's eye.

"It just happened," she gulped, "Hokage, am I going to die?"

He started at the unexpected question, then smiled. Naoko was always one to go to the extreme.

"No, I do not think it will kill you," he answered. He paused a minute before breaking the news.

"You have Sharingan."

...

To say Naoko fainted would be putting it lightly, unless you considered a broken table and shattered lamp a normal occurrence when one is falling. As it was the girl was unconscious long enough for the hokage to call for Kakashi and tell him what had happened.

"I am not entirely certain as to what we are to expect," Sarutobi warned, "Her sharingan is spinning most irregularly."

"Whassup?" Naoko muttered as she slowly came to. Sarutobi pressed a cup of tea into her hands and guided it to her mouth when she almost dropped it.

Naoko's reaction was immediate as she spluttered and grabbed her throat as though she was poisoned. "I HATE green tea!"

The hokage was unperturbed as he calmly placed the cup on a table. "I thought that would wake you."

"But you - but -" Naoko spluttered and choked some more.

Kakashi took advantage of the distraction to take a closer look at Naoko's sharingan. The tomoe appeared stable now, but the red eye seemed to stare out and mock him.

"What were you doing when this happened?" he asked.

Naoko stopped choking and shrugged. "Trying to figure out Naruto's shadow clone jutsu."

"Perhaps you could explain how that caused you to develop sharingan," Kakashi said, slightly perturbed.

Naoko sighed and told them about how she had mistaken Naruto for Sasuke, and then how her eyes had exploded after she tried to read his chakra. "I'm still not sure how it happened," she finished lamely. "But I never knew your guards could be so slow!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. He knew the effects and advantages of the sharingan full well. "What else happened when your eyes first changed? Did you notice anything different? Perhaps a change in your view of other's chakra?" he hinted.

Naoko hesitated. "Everything...was black and red," she stated. "And everything seemed slower." She looked up. "I'm not sure quite what happened."

"Is your vision that way now?" the hokage asked, some concern evident in his tone.

"No," Naoko shrugged, "You still seem to be moving slow, but the colors are normal."

"Hm," Sarutobi grunted as he wrote out a slip of paper and sealed it in an envelope. "Take this down to the hospital and let a nurse take a look at your eyes. Don't read it." He knew he didn't have to tell Naoko that, but after dealing with Naruto enough times, habit overruled.

Naoko grimaced. "Do I _have_ to see a nurse? I feel fine!"

"I'm not willing to discuss this any further," Sarutobi answered as he began shuffling papers. He gave Naoko a pointed look. "Hospital. Now."

Naoko groaned but left as she had been told.

The hokage sat down and rested his chin on his knit fingers. "Any thoughts, Kakashi?"

Kakashi was silent a moment. "Looks like I have a bit more on my hands than I anticipated," he finally replied. "And it appears that we have no ordinary Urutymaya."

...End Chapter 1...

**Nathaniel: "You know, most people wait until the **_**first**_** chapter is reviewed before writing the next one."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I wanted to know if people liked it first. It's easier for them to get into the story if they know more what's going on."**

**Shisui: "Am I in it yet?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "No, I might mention you next chapter though."**

**Shisui: (Yanks on hair and yells at the ceiling) "Augh, why is it taking so LONG?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Dude, you can't rush a story. These things take time."**

**Shisui: "And I have to wait until chapter **_**seventy**_** to come in?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "You'll get over it. Review please!"**

**Shisui: "I can't believe you're doing this to me!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: (Slams pile of papers on the table) "Would someone please throw a pencil at his head!"**


	3. Kakashi Hatake

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Chapter three - or two if you like to consider it that way."**

**Shisui: "Am I in this one?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Yes, I mentioned you. You're kinda supposed to be dead though, so I can't be bringing you up too often."**

**Shisui: "They killed me?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Dude, you seriously need to start reading your own history in the manga."**

**Shisui: "I'm gonna DIE!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: (Sighs) "Disclaimer - I don't own the Naruto plot or anything."**

**Shisui: "I thought you wrote this story in order to save me!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Dude, I've got my own life and a hundred people to rescue. You're kinda low on the totem pole right now."**

**Shisui: "I wanna LIVE!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Roll film!"**

**...**

"He's late!"

Naoko calmly stood against the wall and texted as she tried to zone out Naruto's whining. Most genin weren't allowed to have cell phones on duty, but Naoko had always been an exception to everything.

Funny enough, she'd had that cell phone as long as she could remember. She had a vague recollection of getting it for her sixth birthday, but most of her memories before the Uchiha massacre had vanished.

Naoko's thoughts turned randomly to the day before. She had been attempting to read through Naruto's clone jutsu when her eyes had unexpectedly developed sharingan. The hokage, after examining her himself, had sent her down to the hospital, where a nurse had proclaimed her completely fit and healthy with no ill side affects other than a potentially mutated sharingan. The news had been strictly confidential due to the hokage's letter insisting the nurse tell no one, but it was only a matter of time before the others discovered it...

"Naruto, just sit down!" Sakura's shouting broke into her thoughts.

"I don't want to! How come our teacher's the only one that's late?" Naruto shot back.

"Maybe he's afraid of us," Naoko muttered.

"I'm ready to roll, believe it!"

Naoko rolled her eyes and continued to text. _Concentrate on the phone, do not punch the loser out the window._

Sasuke shot her a glance, his meaning clear. _Don't lose it right now._

Naoko flipped the phone shut. Right.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Sakura's voice rang out.

Naoko and Sasuke both grimaced as Naruto grabbed a blackboard eraser and proceeded to balance it above the door, cackling as he did so.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled.

"That's what he gets for being late!" Naruto shot back. "Sur-prise!"

Naoko groaned. _We're all doomed._

"You're asking for trouble. You know you shouldn't do that," Sakura scolded.

"Our teacher's a jounin," Sasuke spoke up, "an elite ninja. You think he'd fall for something like that?"

"Yeah, Sasuke's right, you're so clueless Naruto!" Sakura piped up.

_Always agreeing with the cute guys. Predictable. Even if Sasuke probably is correct in this case._

Just then the door opened, and Naoko learned very quickly that sometime's genin pranks work.

Naruto immediately started cackling and teasing the jounin, while Sakura was apologizing profusely. Sasuke was half ducking his head, and Naoko suspected he was both embarrassed at his classmate's stupidity and disgusted at his sensei's obliviousness. But Naoko had something more important to worry about.

Kakashi sensei was the same man who had spoken to her yesterday about her sharingan.

Naoko figured she was doomed.

"Hm, how can I put this...," Kakashi stated calmly as he looked around, "My first impression of this group...you're a bunch of idiots."

Naoko's calm center shattered, and it was only Sasuke's grip that kept her from launching herself at the sensei and causing some serious damage.

...

"All right, why don't you introduce yourselves, one at a time," Kakashi stated in bored tone as they all sat on the balcony.

"Introduce ourselves?" Sakura sounded shocked. "Well, what are we supposed to say?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Things...you like. Things you hate. Dreams...for the future. Hobbies. Things like that."

"Why don't you tell us stuff first? I mean, before we talk, tell use about you so we can see how it's supposed to work." Naruto said.

"Me? I'm Kakashi Hitake. Things I like and things I hate...hm, I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future...never really thought about it."

Naoko's eyes narrowed as Naruto and Sakura stared at their sensei in shock.

"As for my hobbies, I have lots of hobbies."

"That was totally useless," Sakura complained within the group, "All he really told us was his name."

"Not like we didn't already know that," Naoko agreed.

"Okay, your turn," Kakashi told them. "You on the right, you first."

Naoko gritted her teeth. Kakashi's bored tone was really beginning to get on her nerves.

Naruto burst into a full length explanation of how hyper he was. "Believe it! I'm Naruto Uzamaki! I like instant ramen in a cup, and I really like the ramen Iruka sensei got me at the Ichiraku noodle shop! But I really hate the three minutes you have to wait after you pour the water into the instant ramen cup. My hobby is eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them, and my future dream is..."

_Ramen chef._

"To be the greatest hokage! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody! Somebody important!"

_Oh. Guess he's not all about ramen after all._

"All right," Kakashi droned after a moment of silence, "Next."

"I'm Sakura Haruno! What I like, uh, I mean the person I like is," Sakura stammered and blushed as she looked towards Sasuke. Naoko groaned and watched a leaf shrivel under her glare. _Fan girls! _Naoko was feeling very sorry for Sasuke at the moment.

"Uh, my hobby is uh..."

How Sasuke managed to retain his cool composure even under the most extreme pressure had always astounded Naoko, and today was no exception.

"My dream for the future is..." Here Sakura broke off with a shrill giggle that set Naoko's teeth on edge.

"And? What do you hate?" Kakashi asked, sounding as agitated as Naoko felt.

"NARUTO!" was the immediate reply.

Naruto screamed, looking as though his whole world had come to an end. Kakashi looked bored.

"All right, the one in the middle," Kakashi addressed Sasuke.

"My name...is Sasuke Uchiha."

_Yes and the whole world is going to come to an end because you mentioned it._ Sometimes Sasuke accomplished the impossible and convinced Naoko he was cool and worthy to kill at the same time.

"I _hate_ a lot of things and I don't particularly like _anything_." His gaze flitted to Sakura, who gave a small gasp.

_Yeah, well I'd better not be on that "don't like" list, or you're seriously going to find yourself "tripping" and falling off the balcony any time now._

"What I have is not a dream, because I **will** make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan, and destroy a _certain someone_."

Silence reigned in the area. Naoko was quiet. Nothing that Sasuke had told her about his clan had ever hinted at his last statement.

"Good, you're each unique and you have your own ideas," Kakashi said nonchalantly. "Oh, and it appears I missed one of you. Naoko, your thoughts."

Naoko was silent. Finally she spoke, allowing her thoughts to slowly formulate in her mind. "My name is Naoko Urutymaya. I knew my family, but I don't remember much of my clan. I'm not creative at naming stuff I like, but I'll start with chocolate and black coffee. I hate guys who like me and people that get in my way." Her eyes shut halfway. "My dream is ... to find something. I don't know what it is, but I need to find it. I also need to find Itachi Uchiha."

Sasuke visibly started and Kakashi for once dropped his casual air and had an astounded look on his face.

Naoko continued, "For hobbies...I like annoying people that I hate and training. That's about it."

"I see...," Kakashi said slowly, regaining his cool composure before abruptly changing the subject. "We'll have our first mission tomorrow."

Naruto went crazy in the background, but Naoko's eyes were on Sasuke. He was staring at her, his features a mixture of shock, bewilderment, and...betrayal? Naoko found herself blushing and looking away. She wasn't sure what was bothering him, but she didn't want to talk to him about it right now.

"What kind of mission are we going to have?" Naruto asked.

"A training mission that the four - sorry, the five of us will do together," Kakashi answered.

"What? What? What? What?" Naruto pestered.

"A survival exercise." An aura of doom filtered through Kakashi's words.

"A survival exercise?" Naruto asked.

"I thought we were supposed to have a real mission, not more practice!" Sakura pointed out. "We already did this stuff at the academy, that's how we got here."

"This is not like your previous training," Kakashi answered.

Naruto began to ask questions, but Naoko's attention was distracted as her cell phone vibrated. _A text message? _She drew back slightly and looked at her phone. _Fishhead? What kind of name is that? Where's the number...?_

She looked up as Sasuke gave her a sharp jab in the ribs. Kakashi was laughing - cackling more like. A chill ran down Naoko's spine.

"Hey, come on. That's a normal question, what's so funny?" Sakura asked, leaving Naoko to wonder what she missed and if it was important.

"Well, if I tell you the answer, you're not going to like it," Kakashi taunted, laughing again.

Naoko sniffed the air. Yep, that was the scent of doom approaching.

"Of the twenty seven graduates who came here only nine will actually be accepted as genin. The other eighteen will be weeded out and sent back to the academy. In other words, this is a make it or break it pass/fail test. And the chance you will fail is at least 66%, not counting the fact that you now have an extra member on your team."

Here all eyes riveted on Naoko. _Oh, that's right. Blame me for this!_

"See, didn't I tell you that you wouldn't like it?"

Naruto spoke up. "That's crazy! We worked hard to get here! Believe it! What's that graduation test for anyways?"

"Oh that? That was just to select the candidates who _might_ become genin. Or not."

"WHAAATT!"

"That's how it is," Kakashi replied, "I decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the designated training spot at five a.m. And bring your ninja gear."

Naoko frowned. _This is it. I can't fail my clan now. I have to find Itachi if I'm going to find __**them**__, and I can't let this get in my way._

"That's it, you're dismissed," Kakashi waved them away. "Oh, tomorrow you'd better skip breakfast or else...you'll throw up."

...

"Oh, that was just to select the candidates who might become genin! Oh, don't eat breakfast because you'll throw up! In fact, while you're at it why don't you just retire early and get it over with!" Naoko threw her hairbrush against the wall and flounced to the window.

"Naoko, don't lose your temper. It's not that bad." Sasuke was standing below her window two floors down. His words had no effect on her this evening and she calmly picked up a potted flower plant and dropped it in the general direction of his head.

"Naoko, don't lose your temper! Naoko, calm down! Sasuke stop patronizing me!" Naoko stomped over to the bed and flung herself onto it, willing herself not to go chase down her _**former**_ friend this instant.

A soft knock on the door broke her out of her luscious thoughts of vengeance. Naoko instantly activated her Sharingan. She hadn't told the hokage, but she had recently discovered she could divide layers and see through certain objects when she reached the "black and red zone." Her range of vision didn't extend very far, but she could at least see who was standing outside.

"Come in," she groaned as she flopped back onto the discarded pillows scattered across the bed.

The door slowly opened a crack and Hinata peeked around the corner. "Are you all right?" she asked softly.

Naoko groaned. She usually didn't have to worry about yelling at Hinata. Her shy classmate had a way of bringing up touchy subjects without disrupting Naoko's teetering balance of goodwill. Other than Sasuke, Hinata was the only person Naoko would allow herself to consider a friend.

"I have to train with Kakashi tomorrow," Naoko growled.

"I hear he is a very difficult Sensei," Hinata said as she picked her way across the cluttered floor and sat down on a chair close to the bed.

"Difficult? More like difficult to ignore," Naoko muttered.

"He seems very good at making you angry." Hinata giggled softly.

Naoko rolled over onto her side. "What do you think? Should I dangle a spider in front of his face? Or just dump a paint bucket over his head?"

Hinata giggled again. "I - I always liked the time you placed a pincushion on the hokage's chair."

Naoko grinned wickedly. "That wasn't a pin cushion. That was a porcupine."

The two discussed various pranks far into the evening, and when Hinata finally left Naoko was feeling much better.

…..

**A Tragic Galaxy: "So anyways, I finally decided to shorten the chapters for the readers' sake. A lot of people were dissuaded by the super long, 17,000+ word chapters, so I'm compacting them into 2-6,000 word groups. (Oh, and I also got spell check. I didn't realize my spelling was so terrible! :O Hope that helps!")**

**Shisui: "Does extra chapters mean I get to talk more?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Sure, whatev. Review please!"**


	4. Bell Test

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Kakashi's bell test is up!"**

**Shisui: "Whoopdy-do."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "You know, some of us like to **_**compliment**_** other people's work."**

**Shisui: "Yes, and it's very nice. I just don't see why you have to get so worked up over it."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Dude, you're well on your way to getting kicked out of the story here!"**

**Shisui: (sniffs nonchalantly) "**_**You**_** would not dare leave me out. I make up half the book."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: (gives a level stare) "What book? You don't even have a picture except for one time in the manga."**

**Shisui: (eyes widen as he grabs the computer monitor) "That's impossible! Show me where! There's got to be more of me out there!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Shisui, let go of the computer screen! I've got a story to run!"**

**Shisui: (refuses to relinquish hold on computer monitor) "Must… find… pictures!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Would someone get the film rolling?"**

…..

"Hmmmm... gloves, check. Twenty kunai...check. Throwing needles..."

"Hey, sleepyhead, rise and shine!" Naruto's voice rang out as he shouted up at Naoko's window.

"Flower pot..." Naoko's hand shot out and she was rewarded with a yelp below. "Check." She couldn't wait for the blond ninja to realize he wasn't even supposed to be up at five in the morning and head off to "z" land again.

She had been dressed and ready since 3:00, and had made sure to eat early. _No sense going on an empty stomach. By 5:00 I'll have had plenty of time to digest it._

She finally stopped in front of her full-length mirror and considered her reflection. Considering the seriousness of the test, she had dropped the strict dress code she had been ordered to wear for years and now stood in a black, sleeveless, folded collared, hip length blouse that was tied at the waist with a belt and held several pouches containing all her ninja supplies. A knife sheath was tied just below each shoulder, forearm guards extended from her wrist to her elbow, and her gloves were cut to the base of the wrist. The newly improvised edition of her gloves also included cutting the fingers off each glove, allowing unhampered movement.

Naoko was surprised at the freedom she experienced without the layers of clothing the hokage insisted she wear. She still didn't know why it was required of her to cover every bit of skin save her hair and face, but she wasn't going to go through with it now. No, if she was going to pass this test, she was going to need a proper uniform.

Hearing Sasuke's call below, Naoko quickly grabbed the rest of her supplies and ran down to join him.

...

Of the four of them Naoko suspected she was the most prepared for the day. Sakura was yawning, Naruto was practically asleep on his feet (she knew the hyperactivity would wear off soon enough), and while Sasuke looked ready to go, Naoko suspected he hadn't eaten.

The first thing Sakura did comment on was Naoko's clothing. Naruto was too out of it to notice, but even Sasuke asked her what was up with her outfit.

"Just thought I'd try something different today," Naoko answered nonchalantly.

"Different? You wear turtlenecks even in the summer!" Sakura pointed out.

Naoko rolled her eyes and plopped down on the ground. Already suspicious of Kakashi's timing, she had prepared ahead of time. Humming softly, Naoko pulled out a book and opened it up to the page she had dog-eared last night. As she did she felt her cell phone buzz again.

Growling with impatience at the inopportune timing, Naoko fished around for her phone and saw she had received another text message.

_Fishhead again?_ Maybe she'd better take a look at it now. Naoko flipped to her message box and opened the first message.

**hey kid what up! rmember me shisui? you got me w/ the fishhook member? gang says hi talk later bye**

_Shisui? Gang?_ She went to the next message.

**hey kid, me again. what up ur not taking calls? finally got ur nmbr from Sora, dont tell her shell kill me no kidd what up call me, k?**

_Obviously someone has VERY bad grammar._ Naoko sighed and sent back her own message.

**Who ARE you?**

Confident that was settled for the time being, Naoko put the phone away and pulled out her book again.

The shadows disappeared as the sun rose higher in the sky, and still Kakashi did not arrive. Soon Sasuke was the only one standing.

_Stubborn._ Naoko smiled. Sasuke had been that way since she had first met him. If anyone had to act strong, it would be him. They both felt that way, in fact. They had lost so much, but neither of them had been broken. They never would be.

It was late morning before Kakashi finally showed up.

"Morning everyone, ready for your first day?"

Kakashi was met be three glares and a rock thrown at his head.

"Hey, you're late!" Sakura and Naruto's voices chorused out.

"Well a black cat crossed my path so I had to take the long way," Kakashi answered.

"Black cats are considered good luck in England, bad luck in the Northern states, and in Antarctica they just shock people," Naoko said matter of factly without looking up from her book. She glanced up at the four faces staring at her. "What? I looked it up in the library!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Well," he cleared his throat, "Let's get started." He walked over to an alarm clock sitting on a tree stump.

"Here we go," he said as he placed his hand on the top. "It's set for noon." He pressed the button.

Naoko put her book away and stood up as the jounin continued.

"Your assignment is very simple. You just have to take these bells from me, that's all." He jingled three bells held in his hand. "That's all there is too it. If you can't get them before noon, you go without lunch. If you don't, then you watch while I eat my lunch in front of you. So that's why..."

_That's why he said don't eat. Meanie!_

Naoko sulked, but inwardly she triumphed over having foiled Kakashi's plan for at least one of his students.

"Wait a minute, there's four of us!" Sakura pointed out. "How come there's only three bells?"

"Well that way, at least one of you will end up tied to a post and ultimately disqualified for failing to complete the mission. That one goes back to the academy."

Naoko tilted her head to the side and considered. _Something's fishy about this..._ Bringing up fish reminded her of the mysterious text messages, and she quickly banished it from her mind.

Kakashi continued. "Then again, all three of you could flunk out, too. You can use any weapons, including shurikens. If you're not prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take the bells."

_Oh, wow. Nice training. Everyone go kill their sensei. Yeah, sure._

"Those weapons are too dangerous, Sensei!" Sakura objected.

Naruto cackled. "Especially since you couldn't even dodge that eraser!"

Kakashi looked at the blond with a bored expression. "Class clowns are usually the weakest links. You can safely ignore them. Lowest scores. Losers."

"And you're just a very nice person to bring up all that," Naoko said saucily.

Kakashi didn't even spare her a glance. "When I say start, you can begin."

Naruto didn't even wait as he grabbed a kunai and launched himself at the sensei.

Naoko suddenly felt her eyes swirl into black and red without her initiative. In seemingly slow motion Kakashi dodged around Naruto and pulled his arm back so that the tip of the kunai was pointed at the back of the blonde's neck.

"Don't be in such a hurry," Kakashi said, venom lacing his words. "I didn't say start yet."

Naoko's eyes swirled back to normal, once again without her choosing. She shook her head, trying to make sense of everything. _What was that?_

...

Although Naoko stuck close to Sasuke throughout the morning, she understood his need to pass the test and was determined not to cause him to consider her an obstacle to overcome. Besides, the tension had been thick between the two of them ever since the introductions. Naoko didn't know why, but something about mentioning Itachi had particularly set off her friend.

Naoko took a quick glance to check Kakashi's position. The jounin hadn't moved. Naoko gave a fleeting grin and climbed further into a tree. She felt her eyes change again as she swung higher and higher. This time they held back and did not enter the "swirling" stage, but she could still move faster.

Naoko pulled herself onto a branch and this time intentionally swirled her chakra into red and black swirl. The world stood out like transparent cutouts as obsidian and ruby glows banished the colors of the outside. She could see Kakashi standing in the clearing fifty feet away, and adjusted her sharingan so it looked as though he were only a few feet in front of her. She smiled as she pulled out a kunai, planning out her attack. Then Naruto entered her field of vision.

...

"You and me! Right now, fair and square!"

Naoko had serious doubts as to whether the blond ninja even knew how to whisper.

"Let's go!" Naruto continued to shout.

Kakashi looked puzzled.

"Fool," Naoko heard Sasuke mutter on the branch far below her. She grinned. Sasuke didn't even know she was here! Although he had never been able to find her whenever she hid over the years, even when they had played hide and seek as kids. Of course it had been vice versa...

"You know, compared to the others, you're a little bit...weird." Kakashi said, breaking into Naoko's thoughts.

_Does this guy have anything better to do than think up insults?_

"Oh, yeah, the only thing weird here is your haircut!" Naruto shot back as he ran forward, yelling at the top of his lungs.

_Bright. Never insult your enemy, especially if he is your sensei. How to Avoid Stupidity lesson 14._

Naruto stopped just shy of his targets as he watched Kakashi put his hand in the pouch at his side.

The jounin looked up. "Shinobi battle techniques, part 1. Tai jutsu."

Naoko's eyes narrowed. _Hand to hand combat. Finally - I've been seeing way too many chakra explosions from these ninja masters._

Kakashi reached into the pouch at his side again and pulled out... a book.

"What the...!" Naruto's shout rang across the clearing.

Naoko couldn't help but grin. _Now that's my kind of ninja technique. Shinobi battle technique 2 - use your enemy's weakness against him._ She would have to use that later on.

"What are you waiting for? Make your move," Kakashi prodded.

"But - but I - Why are you reading that book?"

"Why?" Kakashi sounded as though he were astonished at the question, "To find out what happens in the story, of course. Don't let it bother you. With your weak attacks it doesn't really matter if I'm reading or...whatever."

_Okay, we're enemies again._

"I'm going to crush yoooouuu!" Naruto yelled as he raced in for a second attack.

_Please. Never attack your enemy. Let them come to you. Otherwise..._

Each move made by Naruto was instantly foiled, missed, or blocked. Then...

"Don't let your enemy get behind you, Naruto." Kakashi's hands formed the tiger signal as he appeared behind the blond ninja.

"Naruto get out of there quick! He's going to destroy you!" Sakura shouted from her hiding place.

_So...can you fire a sensei if he murders a kid?_

"Too late," came Kakashi's calm reply. "_Secret finger jutsu! A thousand years of death!"

Naruto shouted his horror just before he went flying.

Naoko winced and closed her eyes until she heard the splash as the genin hit the water.

"Those two are just total idiots," she heard Sasuke mutter under her.

_Yeah, they probably are._

"Okay, where was I," Kakashi asked in his infuriatingly calm tone as he returned to his book.

Naoko got tired of waiting.

"Hyaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!"

She didn't even try to aim. Kakashi was expecting her to attack, but he wasn't anticipating her sharingan.

Once again Naoko's sharingan activated without her initiation. The whole world looked like a puzzle. Kakashi started to duck, but she could already anticipate what his move would be. She socked him in the face.

Kakashi's eyes widened as the blow hit and Naoko felt an unexpected jolt like electricity hit her exposed fingers. _What was that!_

She didn't have time to consider it as an orange flash dashed by her and grabbed a bell. Naoko grinned. _One down, two to go._ She decided to make good her escape while it was still possible and retreated to the edge of the forest.

Naruto was dancing around Kakashi, hooting and waving the bell. Naoko looked over and caught a glare from Sasuke. Well it wasn't exactly _her _fault the kid got a bell! Wasn't that the point of the exercise anyway? _Not when you and Sasuke are the ones who should be passing._ Oh, right. Well, maybe Sas did have a right to be mad.

Naoko looked out from the cover of the trees and could see Kakashi looking around with bewilderment on his face as he carefully rubbed his cheekbone. She hadn't hit him _that_ hard did she? Or maybe she did. Iruka did say she needed to learn to stop hitting people when she was angry. But what was that jolt she felt? She'd never had anything like that happen before.

Then Sasuke moved. Grabbing a handful shurikens, he threw them out at Kakashi. They hit dead on target.

...

Naoko's eyes widened. _Sasuke you didn't!_

Naruto stopped cheering and started panicking and shouting at Sasuke, and Sakura was horrified.

Naoko watched in terror as the sensei's body hit the floor...and turned into a log. _What!_

Sasuke was gone in a flash. Naoko activated her spinning black and red sharingan and caught sight of him dashing through the forest, trying to reposition himself out of the jounin's sight.

_Of course - substitution technique. Very smart - they say you can expect at least one of these for every attack._

Naoko's sharingan caught sight of another movement through the trees. _Sakura._ _Great! Off to rescue Sasuke no doubt. Well I got picked for the worst team ever! _

She watched as Sakura was tricked by another substitution technique and finally a gengetsu. Her screams of surprise and fear echoed through the forest. _Oh, well. Nice try. Now where's Sasuke..._

Naoko had almost lost track of Sasuke as he moved through the trees, but her spinning sharingan locked onto him in an instant as he stood in front of Kakashi. _He's not moving. Why aren't you moving, blast it all! _

"I'm not like Sakura and Naruto."

Naoko smacked her head on a tree branch. _Three idiots. Three idiots and a half-witless sensei. Why did I aspire to be a ninja. Why couldn't I have worked in a bakery?_

"Say that after you get one of these bells," Kakashi answered Sasuke, not looking up from his book. "My Sasuke," he taunted, copying Sakura.

_If I am not dead from over sarcasm and the complete and total gagging effect by the end of this day, then please kill me Kakashi Sensei._

Sasuke and Kakashi simply stood in the clearing, Sasuke assessing the sensei's possible future moves, and Kakashi merely reading his book.

_The excitement is unfathomable. _Naoko pulled out her own book and relaxed full length on a branch to read.

Then Sasuke lashed out with several shurikan. Kakashi easily darted out of the way.

"There's no point using normal attacks," Kakashi droned.

Sasuke threw a kunai back, severing a rope and setting off a series of traps towards the sensei.

_Finally! I was beginning to wonder if we had been doing any training these past couple years._

Kakashi dove back from the kunai explosion, and slid right into Sasuke's path.

The young genin snapped out a leg to catch the jounin, but was unexpectedly foiled as Kakashi grabbed his leg. Swinging the other leg around, he found that leg likewise captured in a vice like grip.

_Ouch._

Triumph showed in Sasuke's eyes though as he reached down towards the last two bells hanging at Kakashi's waist. Naoko could proudly say Kakashi showed genuine surprise as he let go of Sasuke and vaulted backwards.

_Aw, come on, he touched it! Soooo close, come on Sasuke!_

Another movement caught Naoko's eyes and she caught sight of Naruto sneaking off towards the boxed lunches. _Dude, you idiot! There's probably a reason he said not until noon._

"Well, you are different from the other two, I'll grant you that," Kakashi's voice brought her attention back to Sasuke.

"Hn." Sasuke's only reply was as series of hand movements. Naoko's eyes widened as her sharingan separated the movements and coded them into their correct formation...fireball technique.

Naoko was momentarily shocked, then grinned. Of course! They had often practiced together with that particular technique. Naoko couldn't do it herself - for some reason it drained her chakra far too quickly to hold it out for longer than a few seconds - but Sasuke was quite the expert.

Naoko looked on in awe as the fire streamed from Sasuke's hand towards a very astounded Kakashi. She winced though as the sensei disappeared in the wall of flames. _Boy, I hope you didn't kill him! Then again... maybe I wouldn't miss his voice too much._

When Sasuke dropped the jutsu only a smoking crater remained where Kakashi had been. Sasuke looked around frantically for the sensei, unsure of where to expect an attack from next.

Naoko held her breath. _Wait for it..._

A hand shot out from underground, grasping Sasuke's ankle.

"I'm where you least expect me," Kakashi said matter of factly.

Naoko winced and looked away as she heard the scuffle. There was no help for Sasuke this time.

"Right under your feet," Kakashi taunted Sasuke, who was now buried up to his neck in the ground. "Earth style, head hunter jutsu."

Sasuke grunted and struggled to no avail.

"Can't move, huh?" Kakashi's bored tones continued. "That was ninjutsu, the third shinobi battle scale. You have talent, and you were right. You are different from the others, but, different isn't always better. They say the nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered down."

Naoko sighed. _Oh, well - looks like it's up to me now._ She carefully eased down from her hiding place and walked over to Sasuke. "Need a little help, or do you want to figure it out on your own?"

Sasuke glared at her. "I don't need your help!"

Naoko frowned. "C'mon, Sas," she knelt down next to him. "We've trained together for three years and been the closest thing to friends either of us would admit to have. You've always gotten me out of sticky situations and I've done the same for you. What makes things different now?"

"You don't understand! I need to - " he stopped. Of course Naoko understood. They both had the same past, and therefore their goals were similar.

Naoko rolled her eyes. "There's two bells, Sas. What's the chance of one of us getting one of them if the other distracts Kakashi?"

A glint came to Sasuke's eyes. "Better than if we took him on one at a time..." Understanding broke in. "Get Sakura. We'll all take him on at once!"

Naoko grinned. "Yeah, but first we'd better get you out - you don't look like you're going anywhere."

...

The three stopped at the edge of the clearing, close to the rocks where Naruto had just sat down for a stolen snack. Naoko waited until Kakashi had popped up behind the blond.

"Now!" she hissed.

Sasuke and Sakura ran in on either side of Kakashi while Naoko ran at him from behind. The jounin's eyes widened as he turned to face the three way threat.

Meanwhile, Naruto tried to make off with a free lunch. He was intercepted by Naoko as she vaulted over Kakashi's head.

"No teamwork, no bell!" she shouted as she grabbed Naruto's bell and charged back into the fight.

"What! But I won it already! Aaaaugh!" Without a moment's further hesitation Naruto launched himself into the tussle.

It was obvious that Kakashi was outnumbered. Sakura had already grabbed a bell and Naoko had Naruto's - that left only Sasuke. Naoko feigned a punch towards Kakashi again, but noticed that rather than blocking her punch with his hand he opted to use his elbows and feet instead, and once she could have sworn he nearly fell backwards in an attempt to keep her from hitting his face.

Then a triumphant yell from Sasuke and a moan from Naruto showed the match was over. Naoko vaulted backwards and quickly tossed the bell to Naruto, who nearly dropped it in his rush to grab it before Kakashi could take it back again.

Naoko stopped as she realized what she had done in giving Naruto back the bell. She was now officially disqualified.

Sakura and Sasuke had also stopped their celebration as they realized the truth.

"But ... Naoko was the reason we even got these," Sakura said. "We wouldn't have made it otherwise."

"I'm sorry, but those are the rules," Kakashi answered. "Better luck next time."

Naoko bit back tears and clenched her fist, fighting the instinct to wipe the "apologetic" smile off the sensei's face.

"But Sakura's, right - she did everything!" Naruto exclaimed. "You can't disqualify her for that."

Kakashi shrugged. "I did mention, only three of you would pass."

"It's all right guys," Naoko replied, trying to sound brave. "I'll just work hard until next year. I'll catch up to you soon enough."

"No you won't," Sasuke's declaration surprised her, but his next action took her breath away.

"Here." He pressed his bell into her hand. "You did all the work for it. You deserve to go on."

Naoko stared at him, tears filling her eyes. "Sas... But I can't take this! You've been putting everything into this too! I can't take your chance away just because I failed."

"She's right!" Sakura burst in. "You deserve to be here just as much as she does." She held out her own bell to Naoko. "You and Sasuke go ahead. You need to be together."

Naoko could see the tears in Sakura's eyes and knew the girl was making the biggest sacrifice of her life. She started to shake her head.

"Well, as long as everyone else is giving their opinion, maybe you'd better take mine instead," Naruto offered hesitantly. "I got the worst scores anyways...and..."

"And give up your chance to be hokage?" Naoko asked gently.

"Um," Naruto winced.

Naoko shook her head and smiled. "Thanks guys - I'll never forget this. But keep your bells - all of you. I'll be a genin soon enough, and I'm more likely to pass the academy exams again next year than some of you." She gave Naruto a pointed look at that statement and he squirmed uncomfortably.

"That won't be necessary," Kakashi unexpectedly spoke up.

"Wait - it's not?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi looked amused. He stared at them for a minute, then smiled under his mask and said, "Congratulations - you all pass."

"Wait - what!" Naruto stammered.

"I thought you said only three of us could pass!" Sakura pointed out.

"The point of this exercise wasn't to see which of you could get the bells. The point was to see how well you could all work as a team. Each of you was willing to go back to the academy in place of your teammate. I call _that_ teamwork."

"All right! We did it!" Naruto shouted and punched a fist in the air. "Hi-five me Naoko!"

"Yeah...right," Naoko replied as she absently put a hand up, her thoughts elsewhere.

"That's probably not a good idea - " Kakashi's warning was too late, and a sudden jolt hit Naoko's fingers and traveled all the way down her arm. She gasped and jerked her arm back, rubbing at the electrified sensation.

"Hey, what was that?" Naruto asked, rubbing at his hand.

"That was the bell for lunch," Kakashi answered hurriedly. "You three go ahead. I'd like to speak to Naoko for a moment."

"Sure Kakashi Sensei," Sakura answered, casting a worried glance back at Naoko. Sasuke shot her his own look of concern, but she shrugged and smiled, indicating she was okay.

Kakashi waited until the others had left the area before speaking. "I notice you left your gloves behind." His tone had almost a scold to it.

Naoko growled. "Why do I have to wear that stuff anyways? I don't see any point to it! What do you and the hokage have to hide from me anyways? You never tell me anything!" She rubbed at her arm, trying to figure out the sudden burst of energy she felt in her chakra levels.

Kakashi sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Naoko...did you notice anything happen in your chakra levels when you touched Naruto's hand?"

"If this is supposed to be a practical joke - "

"Naoko." Kakashi's voice held a warning in it.

Naoko stood still and silently ran a check over her chakra readings. "I feel really awake," she said finally. "Like I've had way too much coffee."

Kakashi nodded. "I was afraid of that. I suspect you don't know anything of your heritage."

"Ummmmm... no... anything I'm supposed to know?"

Kakashi said nothing for a moment. "Come meet me tomorrow at the Ichiraku noodle shop. I have something important to discuss with you."

...

_The night the Uchiha massacre occurred was the first time a large group of Urutymayas had been seen. A hidden clan, they never entered Konoha except in one's or two's for reasons of their own. They never spoke with the Uchihas, and were never seen in the same vicinity as one. Nothing was known about their clan save a few of their powers, and even sightings of those were rare and far between. The same night the Uchihas were slain a group of over one hundred Urutymayas were found murdered. No one knew why, no one understood how. No one knew where they came from. But according to all knowledge of the ninja world, Naoko was the last of her clan._

...End Chapter 2...

**Shisui: "YAY, I'm in the story! I'm Aliiiive!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Yes, Shisui, we know."**

**Ryuu: "Who spiked his coffee?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "He's not even supposed to be drinking coffee - Itana's orders.**

**Ryuu: "That explains a lot."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Review please."**


	5. Urutymaya Legends

**Shisui: "And this time I'm the one doing the disclaimer!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Shisui, I told you to stay off my computer!"**

**Shisui: "I never get to do anything!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Roll film."**

**Nathaniel: "Oh, and for the record, she doesn't own Naruto or anything associated. "**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "You know you probably spelled that wrong."**

**Nathaniel: "You're the one with a bad word processor."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "That's it! You're out of the commentary!"**

**Nathaniel: "I'm your reporter, you can't fire me!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Aaargh!"**

**Nathaniel: "Roll film."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "You know, I **_**did**_** just get spell check!"**

**Nathaniel: "We're filming, ATG."**

**...**

Naoko woke up the next morning feeling stiff and sore. Her sharingan were spinning wildly again, and it took some time to regain control over the whirling irises. She finally stumbled over the dresser and grimaced at her reflection in the mirror.

"You really need to get a new hairdo," she complained. Stumbling over to her bedside table, she stooped down to get a brush - and stopped halfway.

The table was shattered. Not just smashed though - splinters the length of her thumb were the largest pieces Naoko could find of the furniture. The lamp was totaled. _What __**was**__ I dreaming last night?_

A quick glance at the clock told her she didn't have time to figure it out now. She had an appointment with Kakashi at 10:30 and it was already 9:54. Perhaps while she was there she would ask him if anything unusual like the table incident ever happened with other genin.

Moaning and grumbling as she got dressed, she hacked at her hair a few times before opting to simply tie it back and comb out her bangs. Naoko growled and mumbled at the clutter on her floor as she tripped over it, then pulled open the door... and stumbled right into Naruto Uzamaki.

"Hey, Naoko! Ready for today? We're going to - Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Naoko rubbed her bruised fist and stalked past the broken bookshelf in the hallway where Naruto was ruefully shaking the stars out of his eyes.

"All too easy," Naoko muttered before making a dash for the coffee shop.

...

"Soooo. Anything particular you wanted to talk to me about?" Although Naoko was certainly far less of a ramen fan than Naruto, she still liked Ichikaros. Today though she just picked at her noodles, leaning on one hand while using the other to fiddle with her chopsticks.

"Well, let's see..." Kakashi leaned back as though considering all the menial things in the world, from the morning news to the butterfly flitting across the path.

Naoko growled. "Can we _please_ just get to the point? I've got training with Sasuke to do today!"

"Oh, yes." Kakashi sat up nonchalantly and stirred his own noodles a few times.

Naoko narrowed her eyes at him. _Naruto and Sakura were right - he never takes his mask off. Maybe I can get him to do it...Nah! Who has the nerve to attempt to discombobulate senseis anyhow. I've got a life._

She did consider the fact anyways, and activated her spinning sharingan. As the world leapt out in black and red shades, she carefully manipulated the layers until Kakashi's mask shone transparent across his face.

Naoko's eyes widened. _You mean he's just - he's just - _

"Something amuse you?" Kakashi asked without looking up from his noodles.

Naoko's eyes narrowed and she deactivated her spinning sharingan. "Hardly. Now what were you going to talk to me about?" She decided she would keep this information about Kakashi to herself - no need to let Naruto in on all the secrets.

Kakashi leaned forward and folded his hands on the table. "What do you know about the Urutymaya clan?"

Naoko shrugged. "I couldn't find anything in the library, and I still haven't had a chance to sneak into the restricted section."

Kakashi gave a slight smile at the blatant admission of future guilt. "The Urutymayas are rather like the Uchihas. They were considered to be an extinct clan many years ago, but seem to have survived long enough to be destroyed in the Uchiha massacre."

Naoko winced at the statement.

"Little was known about the Urutymayas for a long time. There were no historical records, few people had seen any of them, and the only clan that had any knowledge of their people were the Uchihas, who refused to speak on the matter."

"Soon after the massacre, Konoha found a record of the Urutymaya history in a hidden room underneath the Uchiha meeting square. It spoke of the marriage of two opposing clan members that started a war, wiping out one clan and creating the clan of the Urutymayas."

"So who were the two clans?" Naoko interrupted.

Kakashi gave a slight sigh but continued. "The clans were supposedly the Uchiha and the Tianiyas."

Naoko's eyes widened. "You're kidding!" _I'm related to __**Sasuke?**_

Kakashi continued. "The Tianiya clan and the Uchihas had been at odds with each other for many years, but one day a young Tianiya girl found one of the Uchiha warriors wounded next the river. She brought him to her clan and they nursed him back to health, and one day he asked her to marry him."

"When the Uchihas discovered that one of their own had betrayed their clan's legacy and married one of their enemies, they gathered their warriors and murdered the entire Tianiya clan."

Naoko dropped her chopsticks, her mouth wide open. "Have the Uchihas always had this kind of bloody history, or are you just making this up as you go?"

Kakashi shrugged. "The Uchihas are known for their warrior blood. That is why Konoha has not always trusted them."

Naoko's eye suddenly swirled into motion, and she suspected a slip of the tongue had revealed something Kakashi hadn't wished her to know yet. _Too bad I can't use my sharingan to take apart conversations. This would be so much easier!_

"The only two survivors of the murder were the Uchiha and Tianiya couple. The girl could not keep her own clan name since she had now married, and the Uchiha was ashamed to keep his name as his own. So he put their two clan names together and created the Urutymaya clan."

"That doesn't really put them together," Naoko broke in. "There's no "m" in either name and - "

"That's not the point right now," Kakashi answered in his basic monotone, laced with annoyance at the moment. "As I was saying, their clan grew over the years until the present day. However, while little is known of the Urutymayas, almost nothing is known of the Tianiyas. No one knows what powers they had that were passed down to their ancestors. They were suspected to have had a special gift that no other clan had, though - the ability to absorb chakra."

"Absorb it? By, like, sucking it in with their own chakra or something?" Naoko slurped a couple of noodles as she listened.

Kakashi shrugged slightly. "As I said, not much is known about the Tianiya clan. All that is known is that pure bred Urutymayas - those who have only Uchiha and Tianiya in their bloodline - tend to possess these powers."

Naoko wrinkled her nose. "But how could you get a pureblood if there's only one Uchiha and Tianiya? Please tell me they didn't marry their siblings."

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "I don't think they were that strict in their bloodline, but marrying of cousins was a common practice. Over the years, however, finding a true blood Urutymaya in the family became harder as more members married outside the clan. As for the beginnings of the clan, it was rumored that several Uchihas married the children of the last Tianiya and took on the Urutymaya name. That however, has yet to be proved."

Naoko toyed with her chopsticks and considered. "So I'm supposedly a pureblood? Is that why I have to cover my hands all the time?"

Kakashi nodded. "When the hokage first found you he was rather shocked when you began absorbing his chakra as he felt for a pulse. He wanted to hide this from you for as long as possible so you would have the chance to learn to use it properly, and so others would not use it against you. But yes, that is why you have had to cover your skin all the time. If you were to accidentally bump into one of the students, you wouldn't be able to keep yourself from absorbing their chakra."

"But what am I supposed to do now?" Naoko squeaked. "I have to walk around like this my whole life? What if I want to get married, or if I get hurt and the nurses have to stitch me up? Didn't the Urutymayas know how to deal with that?"

Kakashi sighed. "We don't know enough about the Urutymayas to understand how their absorbing powers work. You'll have to learn to control it yourself."

"So I can control it then," Naoko asked.

Kakashi nodded. "I suspect you are perfectly able to, once you practice enough. But it's one thing to practice being a ninja and something entirely different practicing an art where one is forced to volunteer their chakra supply."

"You mean if I were to master this thing I'd have to practice on other people and that could potentially harm them or even worse," Naoko stated.

"I suggest you continue to keep yourself covered and practice during missions when we have only petty thugs to work with," Kakashi answered. "Don't try it against master ninjas - there is only a certain amount of chakra you will be able to handle."

"Is that why I blew up my bedside table last night?"

Kakashi looked puzzled. "You what?"

Naoko shrugged. "I just woke up this morning and my table and lamp were smashed to pieces."

"Hmmm," Kakashi considered, "I do know that it will be necessary for you to expend the extra chakra you absorb, or else you could overload your body and potentially kill yourself. The Urutymayas were able to manipulate the chakra blasts for attacks and other purposes, and supposedly healing was on the list of their abilities."

"So when I touched Naruto I absorbed his chakra, and then when my table got blasted that was me releasing the extra energy?"

Kakashi nodded, "That's most likely correct."

"But if I ran out of chakra and absorbed someone else's, I wouldn't have to expend it right away?" Naoko was beginning to feel rather excited about her newfound abilities.

Kakashi hesitated. "Like I said, we're not sure entirely what you're capable of. I suggest you don't try to find out until you've learned a little more about your limitations."

Naoko nodded and concentrated her gaze on her cold noodles. "Hey Kakashi," she perked up slightly, "Does this explain my temper tantrums? Other than the fact that I just can't take anything lightly." Her face glowered as she said the last part - it was often an accusation from many a sensei.

"Hmmm." Kakashi didn't answer right away. He picked up his empty bowl - when had he eaten? - and stood up. "I'm not entirely sure. However...there are rumors."

"Rumors of what?" Naoko whirled up as Kakashi turned to leave.

"Oh, I don't know," Kakashi said vaguely. "Some records just say...that a nine tailed wolf might be involved in it."

…..

**Shisui: (Sarcastically) "Oooh, nine tailed wolf. **_**So**_** creepy. You know, you really need to come up with some more **_**original**_** ideas here. How about a nine tailed hamster?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: (Glares) "Do you really think I could write an epic plotline about a nine tailed hamster?"**

**Shisui: "Out of the black night with horrible vengeance the mighty Moe leapt out with his incisors of **_**death**_**!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Shisui, you need a life."**

**Shisui: "How am I supposed to have a life when the Manga authors killed me? This is the only pathetic excuse for an existence I've got."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Have you tried reading other people's fan fiction?"**

**Shisui: "I'm not crazy in them. It's no fun if you're always serious. That's why I like your writing."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Lucky me. Please review before I die of insanity and complete boredom."**

**Shisui: "Hey, what's so boring? You've got crazy Uchihas, rabid monkeys, and even cute little hamsters on your show!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: (Moans and puts head on table) "Shisui, please leave."**

**Shisui: "Ooh, and maybe you can add a couple of whipped cream pie fights too!"**


	6. Strange Text Messages

**A Tragic Galaxy: "And we're back… again."**

**Ryuu: (examines script) "You know, there wasn't this much commentary in the regular chapters."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: (shrugs) "Yeah, I know. But after I lengthened everything out I had to fill in the blanks. Review please!"**

**Ryuu: "That was short."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Roll film."**

…**.**

Naoko waited calmly in the shelter of the trees, contact radio at close hand.

_**Sasuke I'm at point "B" **_Sasuke's voice crackled over the radio.

_**Sakura I'm at point "C"**_

_**Naruto I'm at point "A" believe it!**_

Naoko had to grin at the Naruto's enthusiasm. She spoke into her own radio. _**Naoko I'm at point "C and a half." **__Why be normal when you can be creative, _she shrugged and waited for further instructions.

_**Okay, squad seven, **_Kakashi replied, _**Hm? **_A hesitation, then, _**Target has moved! Follow him!**_

_Blast!_

The four genin dashed through the trees after their intended quarry.

"Over there," Naruto hissed as they all took shelter behind a tree.

_**What's your distance from the target? **_Kakashi asked over the radio.

Naoko did a scan with her sharingan and spoke up before Naruto had the chance. _**Five meters, Kakashi Sensei.**_

Naruto growled at Naoko for taking his line. _**We're ready - just give the signal.**_

_**I'm ready too, **_Sasuke answered.

_**So am I, **_Sakura echoed_**.**_

_**Rock the house,**_ Naoko grinned.

**Okaaay...Now!**

The four leaped out upon the unsuspecting figure, but Naruto reached it first. "I got him, I got him!" he shouted as the brown cat yowled for dear life.

"Can you verify ribbon on right ear?" Kakashi's voice came over the radio.

"Affirmative, we have a positive i.d." Sasuke replied with all the seriousness the Uchiha could muster - which was a lot.

Naoko turned away before she could burst out laughing from the lucrativeness of the situation. _All this formality over a silly pet! _

Naruto was yelling and struggling as the feline fiend scrabbled it's claws against him in its attempt to get away.

"Right, lost pet Tora captured. Mission accomplished," Kakashi said over the radio.

_**"CAN'T WE GET A BETTER MISSION THAN THIS? I HATE CATS!" **_Naruto's voice rang into Kakashi's ear.

Naoko rolled her eyes. "And you just killed our sensei due to massive hearing loss. Brilliant."

...

"Ooooooh, my poor little Tora! Mommy was so worried about you!" Naoko stared open mouthed at the lady smothering the brown feline.

"This was a "D" ranked mission? I'm sending in a new job application ASAP! Send me to work in the kitchens at this rate!"

Sasuke smiled sardonically at Naoko's predictable reaction.

"No wonder the cat ran away," Sakura commented as she watched the kitty proceed to struggle against its owner.

...

"Now then," Sarutobi examined the mission sheet carefully. "For squad seven's next mission we have several available tasks. Among them babysitting the chief counselor's three year old, helping his wife to do their shopping..."

"Kill me now," Naoko muttered.

"...Digging up potatoes in the - "

"NOooooo!" Naruto's protest rang out. "I want to go on a real mission! Something challenging and exciting, not this little kid stuff! Come on, old man!"

_Ooh, that went too far. How to avoid stupidity lesson 14: Never insult your sensei. Actually, seeing as we're talking about the hokage here, that should probably be bumped up to lesson 1 and a half._

Iruka suddenly slammed his hands onto the desk and leaned forward. "HOW DARE YOU!" he shouted, "YOU'RE JUST A BRAND NEW GENIN WITH NO EXPERIENCE! LIKE EVERYONE ELSE YOU START WITH SIMPLE MISSIONS TO DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS AND PROVE YOURSELF!"

"HOW IN THE BLAZES ARE WE SUPPOSED TO PROVE OURSELVES BY SHOPPING?" Surprised and angered enough by Iruka's shouting, Naoko lost it. "IF I WANTED TO SIGN UP FOR BABYSITTING I COULD HAVE SAVED YOU THE TROUBLE AND JUST POSTED AN AD IN THE NEWSPAPER! YOU CAN'T JUST - !"

A hand clapped over her mouth and Naoko swung a fist at the person it was connected to - which was unfortunately Sasuke.

"AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, IF YOU HAVE ANY INTENTION - " The blow from Kakashi floored her, but she was relieved somewhat to see that Naruto had also put up a fight, though her own shouting had probably drowned out the blond ninja's complaints.

"Would you two just put a lid on it!" Kakashi groaned.

"Naruto and Naoko!" the hokage shouted.

All of a sudden something in Naoko curdled unexpectedly as she heard the hokage's harsh tone. _What is this feeling coursing through me? Hate? Fear? What's going on? Is it a side affect of the pureblood Urutymaya in me?_

"It appears you do not understand the tasks you have been given," Sarutobi continued. "Listen. Many different kinds of requests come into our village every day. From babysitting to assassination. These requests are recorded, analyzed, then ranked ... "

Naoko's attention span was never her greatest ally. _Wow, it's really sunny out there right now. Maybe later I can..._

"So I had this takatsu ramen yesterday and I'm thinking of having nisso ramen today..." **(excuse my Japanese spelling)**

Naoko looked up in surprise and grinned. Naruto was sitting on the floor with his back to the hokage. Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi were all giving him their full attention as he discussed the menial points of his favorite noodles.

"SILENCE!" Sarutobi shouted.

"Oh, sorry," Kakashi said calmly.

"You always lecture me like you're my grandfather or something," Naruto complained. "But I'm not the little brat who used to pull pranks all the time! I'm a ninja now and I want a ninja mission!"

"And I want a job in the kitchens if I have to keep doing these pathetic nuisances you call missions as well!" Naoko took one look at Sarutobi's glare and figured her opinion wasn't about to get them anywhere.

Kakashi groaned and rubbed the back of his head. "Hmmmph. I'm going to hear about this later."

Naoko glared at him.

Iruka was just standing there, a shocked look written all over his face. Then he smiled, and the hokage chuckled. Naoko began to feel very concerned.

The hokage continued to chuckle. "Naruto wants us to know he's not a brat anymore. He's a former brat, and he wants a mission. So be it."

The others looked up in shock.

_**How does HE manage to convince the hokage and not me? **_The flat of Sasuke's kunai blade held against her mouth was the only thing that kept Naoko from voicing her complaints.

"Naoko, shut up," Sasuke muttered.

Naoko glared at him. _If we weren't in the hokage's office and you weren't my friend, that calm look on your face would be splattered all over the ceiling right now!_

The hokage continued. "Since you're so determined, I'm going to give you a "C" rank mission. You'll be bodyguards on a mission."

"Really?" Naruto asked.

_Yes! I always wanted this kind of job!_

"Yes! Who? Who?" Naruto jabbered, "Are we guarding a princess, or some counselor?"

"Don't be so impatient," the hokage scolded, "I will bring him in now. Send in our visitor."

The door creaked open and a gruff voice called out, "What now, a bunch of little snot-nosed kids?" The man took out a large brown bottle and began gulping down the liquid.

Naoko's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"

_We're guarding __**him? **_For some reason she wasn't mad though - a little miffed perhaps, but not angry. _Weird._

The man ignored her though as he studied them. "And you, little one with the idiotic look on your face. You really expect me to believe you're a ninja?"

Naruto laughed as he looked at his squad members. "Who's the little one with the idiotic look on his - huh?"

He looked between Sakura and Sasuke, then his eyes narrowed.

"I'LL DEMOLISH YOU, I'LL -" This time it wasn't Naoko being held back by Kakashi.

"You can't demolish the client, Naruto. It doesn't work that way," Kakashi said calmly as he held back a screaming and kicking blond ninja.

The client took another swig from his bottle and made a face. "I am Tazuna, master bridge builder, and I must return to my country. I'm building a bridge there that will change our world, and I expect you to get me there safely, even if it means giving up your life."

_Whoopdy-doo._

...

"YEAAAHH! ALL RIGHT!"

Walking calmly down the path, Naoko rolled her eyes at Naruto's over enthusiasm.

"What are you getting so excited about, Naruto?" Sakura asked snidely.

"This is the first time I ever left the village!" Naruto explained, looking from right to left and constantly changing position, "I'm a traveler now, believe it!"

"Hey, am I supposed to trust my life to this runt? He's a joke!" Tazuna complained.

Naruto stopped, eyes wide and ready to take on the bridge builder.

"He's with me, and I'm a jounin, so you don't need to worry." Kakashi rose to Naruto's defense.

Naruto swung around and addressed Tazuna himself. "Hey! Never insult a ninja, it's a big mistake! And I'm one of the greatest ninjas ever! Someday I'm going to be the hokage and you'll look up to me! My name's Naruto Uzamaki! Remember it!"

_We're doomed._

"Hokage are powerful and wise, you are puny and brainless. The day you become hokage I'll sprout wings and fly," Tazuna answered, taking another drink from his bottle.

Naruto yelled in frustration. "Aaaagh! Shut up! I'm willing to do anything to become hokage, no matter what it takes! And when I do, everyone will have to admit that I'm the top ninja including you!"

"Hmph," Tazuna answered, "You can become hokage ten times over. To me you'll still be nobody, a loser!"

"Agh! I'm going to make you pay for that!" Naruto shouted as Kakashi reached out and took a hold of the genin's backpack.

Naoko continued texting on her phone and ignored Tazuna's comments. For some reason he didn't annoy her, rather she had to work to keep from laughing every time he spoke up. Naruto on the other hand continued to yell.

"I told you, you're supposed to protect the client, not attack him," Kakashi's monotone took on a slightly higher note as he continued to hold Naruto back from Tazuna.

Just then Naoko felt a slight shiver up her spine. She activated her spinning sharingan and looked around. No one was in her immediate sight, but she couldn't help but feel someone was watching them...

...

{Later}

"Say, Mr. Tazuna," Sakura began.

"What is it," he asked in a very annoyed voice.

"You're country is the land of waves, right?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

Sakura turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi Sensei, there are ninja in that country too, aren't there?"

"No, there are no ninja in the land of waves," Kakashi replied. "But, in other countries, there are hidden villages, each with their own different customs and cultures, where ninja reside..."

The rest of Kakashi's explanation was lost to Naoko as her cell phone buzzed again. _Fishhead! What's he up to now? Is he finally giving me his name?_

**dude shisui uchiha yo? dude we gotta tk this isnt good you dnt mmber me?**

_You've got to be joking. _Naoko's eyes widened._ An Uchiha! What in the blazes is he talking about? Is this something I should tell the hokage? _She hurriedly typed a message back.

"Only the leaders of these hidden villages are permitted the name, "kage," which means, "shadow."" Kakashi's voice droned back into the world as the disturbing message was pushed to the back of Naoko's mind. "These are the leaders, the five shadows that reign over thousands of ninja."

Sakura squealed. "Then the hokage is really important!"

Naoko frowned. "You mean one guy gets to order around everybody? What happens if he does something stupid and destroys a whole village or something?"

Suddenly her sharingan started spinning again. This time it was different. It felt like she was being pulled backwards, away from the world. _What's happening? _The red and black around her started moving, clinking noises filling the air as the world began to fall apart like pieces of a puzzle. A whirling sensation took over her as a voice echoed in her brain.

"_Find them...Naoko..." _Everything began to fade around her and she found herself falling...

…..

**Shisui: "You are really determined to kill off your main character."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "I have a melancholic personality. I live for angst."**

** Shisui: "You know, we were talking about someone needing a life – "**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Shut up or I'm sicing my nine tailed wolf on you."**

** Shisui: "Oh, you mean the hamster? He's kinda cute you know."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Agh! Nate, get him out of here!"**

** Shisui: (squeaks) "But I'm part of the story!"**

** Nathaniel: (lifts Shisui by the back of his shirt collar) "Review please."**

** Shisui: "You know, I'm taller than you are."**


	7. Revelations

**Shisui: "Who lives in a pinapple under the sea?"**

**Ryuu: (Hits Shisui over the head with a baseball bat)**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I HATE that show with a passion."**

**Ryuu: "I thought it was just Shisui's voice that was the problem."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Review."**

**Nathaniel: "ATG does not - "**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Own Naruto or anything associated. We get it by now."**

**Nathaniel: "Just making sure the readers know that."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Roll film."**

**... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...**

The first thing Naoko saw were four anxious faces from her squad and one grimace from Tazuna standing over her. She rubbed her head and sat up stiffly, dizzy for a moment.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked.

"I was just going to ask that myself," Naoko smiled ruefully.

"You fainted," Sakura told her worriedly. "You were just standing up one minute and the next you were on the ground."

"Anything wrong with your chakra levels?" Sasuke asked.

Naoko carefully checked them, watching for any sign of her sharingan still being activated. "Nope, everything's normal. How long was I out?"

"Just a few seconds," Kakashi reassured her.

"Hey what happened to your eyes?" Naruto asked loudly. "Just before you fainted they were all red!"

Tazuna started. "She has sharingan?" he asked Kakashi in astonishment.

Sakura and Naruto exchanged glances.

"Sharingan, what's that?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi sighed. "The hokage didn't want everyone to know about this yet. I don't want any of you telling _anyone_ about what happened."

"But what happened?" Naruto continued. "Kakashi, you're not explaining anything!"

Naoko offered Sasuke a slight smile of apology as the arguement commenced.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

"I wasn't supposed to tell anyone!" Naoko hissed back. "I'm descended from the Uchihas, and somehow I've got sharingan because of that!"

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock. "How?"

Naoko sighed and rolled her eyes. Naruto's complaints continued long enough for her to give Sasuke a brief summary of what Kakashi had told her about her past, but Sasuke looked unconvinced by the time she was done.

"I can't believe my clan would do something like that. How could they - " He stopped, his face pale. He had been about to say 'how could they just wipe out another clan' when the Uchiha massacre hit his mind with its full force. Sasuke sighed.

"Maybe you're right. But that still doesn't make sense. It's hard to find the sharingan in the Uchiha clan, and we are the only clan who has it. How could it develop in you when it's only been present in a few of your ancestors?"

Naoko caught the unsaid thought. 'How could it develop in you when I don't even have it.' She sighed. "I don't know - I'm not ready to try and figure it out either."

A few minutes later Kakashi had finally managed to silence Naruto's questions long enough for them to start moving again. Naoko and Sasuke walked side by side, each lost in their own thoughts and comfortable with the other's silence. They had one more thing in common now.

...

As they passed through a clearing, the forest silent aside from the birds chirping away, disaster struck!

The two ninjas appeared out of nowhere. Naoko's spinning sharingan instantly activated of it's own accord, inadvertantly saving her life. As the spiked chain flew in her direction in slow motion, she pushed Naruto out of the way and lept up in the air for the few crucial seconds needed for the chain to pass under her.

Naoko stared in horror as the chains wrapped themselves around Kakashi.

"Do it," one of the ninjas said.

Naoko screamed as the chains were pulled taunt, slicing apart the sensei. Her sharingan continued to spin as though it were trying to show her something. Naoko fought it down angrily and forced it down to normal sharingan. She didn't want to see any further into her sensei's demise.

The two ninjas had already moved again, positioning themselves behind Naruto. "Now it's your turn," one of them said.

Naoko was already moving, her sharingan practically burning in her eyes as her anger took over. Taking on the first ninja closet to her, she threw in a right hand punch to the jaw and watched him sail into a tree. A quick glance over her shoulder told her that Sasuke had taken care of the spiked chains that had been aimed towards Naruto and was now attacking the other masked ninja.

No further time could be spared watching her comrad however as the first ninja came running towards her again, eyes filled with malice. Finally allowing her spinning sharingan to take affect, she swung an arm around the ninja's neck and grabbed a tree limb with the other hand. His own momentum keeping him from stopping, the other ninja fell to his knees as Naoko's arm pulled against his windpipe. A simple blow with a rock to the head finished the job.

Naoko looked up again and saw with horror that the other ninja had escaped the chains holding him to a tree and was now running towards Sakura and the bridge builder. Sasuke was suddenly standing between the ninja and Sakura, weaponless and defensless. Naoko screamed, knowing she wouldn't make it in time!

She didn't have to. An arm unexpectedly swung itself around the ninja's neck, bringing him to an abrupt stop.

"Hi," Kakashi said breezily.

_But he - I thought he was - _Naoko looked over to the broken tree branches now littering the trail where Kakashi's body had been and slapped her forehead with her palm. _Idiot! ALWAYS expect at least one substitution jutsu per battle! ALWAYS!_

Kakashi started to walk away, then looked back over his shoulder at Naruto. "Naruto, sorry I didn't help you right away. I didn't mean for you to get hurt. I just didn't think you'd freeze up like that."

_Oh, so no compliments for the girl that took out the other ninja. _Recalling the part where Kakashi mentioned Naruto being hurt, Naoko looked towards the blond genin and saw he indeed had several slashes on the back of his hand. _Ouch._

But Kakashi wasn't finished yet. "Good job, Sasuke," he said. "Very smooth. You too, Sakura." He walked over to where the other ninja was lying unconscious on the ground. "Well done, Naoko. You just took out your first ninja."

_Okay, maybe he's not so bad at handing out compliments after all._

Naoko looked over her shoulder at Naruto. Her heart softened as she saw his downcast face.

"Hey, you did great!" she told him, slapping him on the back. "Sas and I would never have been able to get in there if you hadn't distracted them."

Somehow she had a feeling she had not helped Naruto's situation any.

"Didn't he even feel scared at all?" Naruto unintentionally voiced his thoughts.

Naoko looked towards Sasuke. "Who, him? Who knows. He's an Uchiha - they never show any emotion in a panicked situation."

"Hey," Sasuke's voice broke in. "You're not hurt are you?"

Naoko started to smile at her friend's compassion when he added,

"Scaredy-cat."

Naruto growled and clenched his fists. "Sasuke!" he yelled as he started to charge foreward.

"Naruto!" Kakashi shouted. "Stand still. These ninja have poison in their claws. We need to take it out of you quickly."

Naoko only heard one thing. _Naruto_ had been told to stand still - not her. Next minute she was punching Sasuke's lights out.

...

Naoko nursed the bruises on her hand and glowered at Kakashi. She'd managed to get in three good punches before Kakashi had stopped her. Sasuke was not even looking at her excepting a glare every now and then, but at the moment Naoko was too angry to care.

"You idiot! What'd you punch Sasuke for, he's on our team!" Sakura was yelling at the top of her lungs at her, and Naoko was beginning to realize why some people feared the Haruno clan.

"Quiet!" Kakashi's voice rang out. He walked over to the tree where the two ninja were tied. "They're chunin from the village hidden in the mist," he commented. "Their specialty is relentless attack. They can keep fighting no matter what the sacrifice."

"How did you know about our ambush?" one of the ninjas asked. Naoko looked up, the same question on her own mind.

"A puddle, on a clear day when it hasn't rained in weeks?" Kakashi sounded most sarcastic at the moment.

"In that case, why'd you leave it for the genin to do the fighting?" Tazuna accused.

"I could have taken them out quickly," Kakashi admitted, "but then I'd have learned nothing. I had to know who their target was." His gaze shifted to the bridge builder. "And, what they were after."

_So you risk our lives for a bit of information. Thanks, Kakashi._

"Hm? What are you getting at?" Tazuna growled.

Kakashi turned to face Tazuna. "This; I wanted to know what they were after us, ninja attacking ninja, or, if they were attacking you, the master bridgebuilder." He continued, "When you put in your request, you asked for standard protection, from robbers and highwaymen. You didn't say there were ninja looking for you, hunting you down."

His voice took on a more intense tone. "If we knew this, it would be a "B" rank mission or higher. Our task was simply to get you to your destination and protect you while you finished building your bridge. If we knew we'd be fending attacks from enemy ninja, we would have staffed differently, and charged for the cost of a "B" mission."

Tazuna by now looked properly ashamed.

"Apparently you have your reasons," Kakashi continued, obviously angry in his own calm manner, "but lying to us is not acceptable. We are now beyond the scope of this mission."

"We're genin," Sakura explained, "This is too advanced for our level of training." She shrugged. "We should go back. And I really think we need to treat Naruto's wound and get the poison out as soon as possible. Back in our village we can take him to a doctor."

Kakashi looked towards where Naruto was sitting on the ground examining his hand. "Hmmm."

Naruto looked up in surprise. "Huh?"

Kakashi looked back up to Tazuna. "Naruto's hand could create a problem." He sighed nonchallantly. "I guess we should go back to the village."

Naoko's heart sank. _Great, my first real mission too._

Naruto growled and pulled out a kunai. Before anyone could stop him he plunged it into the back of his hand! Blood spurted everywhere.

"Naruto, stop that! What are you doing?" Sakura ran forward, but Naruto was lost in his own thoughts.

Naoko stared at him, feeling sick and at the same time wishing she could know what was happening in the blond genin's mind.

"Bridgebuilder, I'll complete this mission and protect you with this kunai knife!" Naruto turned around after a few seconds and grinned, kunai still burried in his hand.

_That's nasty._

"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Dude, you seriously did not do that!" Naoko shouted. "That's like, totally nasty. I can't believe you did that!"

"Naruto, uh, that was really cool how you took out the poison and all, but if you lose any more blood, you'll die." Kakashi's voice was annoyingly calm as usual.

Naruto started sweating bullets and shaking. Kakashi was at his side in an instant.

"Good idea to stop the bleeding now, seriously," he said with a smile.

Naruto started running back and forth screaming about something or other. Sasuke looked on with disgust and Naoko had no idea what Naruto's problem was.

"Naruto!" Sakura chided, "You've got a self-abusive personality."

_Dude, and I thought I had panic attacks._

Naoko watched Kakashi's face as he calmed Naruto down and examined his hand. Something was up. Carefully she activated her spinning sharingan.

As the world popped up in black and red layers, she noticed something about Naruto that she had missed before. A fiery aura surrounded the genin, bathing him in orange light. Naoko's eyes widened as the light took the shape of a fox. A fox with multiple tails.

"Ummm, ummm," Naruto's voice broke into her concentration, shattering her sharingan concentration.

"You've got a really serious look on your face there," Naruto told Kakashi worriedly. "You're scaring me, am I okay?"

"Uh, yeah. You should be fine," Kakashi told Naruto as he bandaged the genin's hand.

_Funny, shouldn't he have done something to stop the bleeding first?_

Naoko's eyes narrowed. Something really fishy was going on here.

…

**Shisui: "Fishy as in….. Shisui fishy?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Do you have to come in at the end of every chapter?"**

**Shisui: "I'm the life of the show! Without me, there's no purpose in fan fiction."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I can think of a lot of authors who would argue against that."**

**Shisui: (holds up a hand for silence) "Don't tell me! I don't want to know. I prefer to spend the rest of my life in the blessed silence of ignorance."**

**Nathaniel: (pours a cup of coffee) "ATG, it's 11:30 at night. Turn off the computer and go to bed before your mother grounds you from your laptop because you've been staying up too late."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Actually, it's 11:27 on my computer. That means I have thirty-three minutes to write my next chapter for Rising Phoenix."**

**Nathaniel: "Two hours later…"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Ha-ha. Fine, I'll stop editing Naoko and adding commentary. I'm still going to be working on Star Wars though."**

**Nathaniel: "You are seriously going to kill yourself with these late night updates."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Just give me the coffee and I'll be fine. Who needs sleep anyways?"**

**Shisui: "ZZZZZZZZZZ."**

**Nathaniel: (to audience) "I'm officially turning off the lap top so ATG will get some sleep. Please review and she might add another chapter. Shutting down now."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Hey wait, I wasn't done yet – "**


	8. First Battle

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Is trying to update Rising Phoenix and Naoko at the same time."**

**Nathaniel: "Shouldn't you be turning off the computer by now?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "We've been through this."**

**Satoru: "Roll film."**

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

The mist covering the river made the boat trip across more eerie, even without the added sense of danger concerning the man they were guarding.

"This fog's so thick, you can't say anything," Sakura said.

_Thank you for pointing out the obvious. _Naoko didn't even bothering to peer through the thick mist. She figured wherever they were going they would get there eventually. Sasuke's eyebrows were drawn together as he looked ahead. At least he wasn't mad at her anymore.

Sasuke had been on the brunt of Naoko's fists before, but due to his speed she always got her own fair share of bruises. Each of them had a sardonic wit and could spout insults without hesitation, and therefore they considered themselves rather even whenever they got into a fight. The only difference between them was Naoko's passion versus Sasuke's cool. Come to think of it this was often what started their arguements in the first place.

"The bridge isn't far now," the oarsman said. "Our destination is just ahead. The land of waves."

Naruto was peering into the fog again. Naoko sighed and leaned back. Feeling her phone vibrate, she growled and hit the "off" button. Just then a the half finished structure of the bridge came into view.

"Whoah! It's huge!" Naruto yelled.

Naoko growled and adjusted the forehead guard she had tied around her wrist. _Quietly please!_

"What - quiet will you! I told you no noise," the oarsman ordered. "Why do you think we're traveling like this, huh? Cuttin' off the engine and rowing. Moving through dense fog, so they don't see us."

_Idiot._

Naruto clapped his hands over his mouth, his eyes wide and anxious.

"Mr. Tazuna," Kakashi adressed the bridgebuilder, "Before we reach the peer, I want to ask you something." His words were cut and dry, leaving no room for arguement. "The men who are after you, I need to know why. If you don't tell us, I'm afraid I'll have to end this mission when we drop you ashore."

"Hm," Tazuna grunted, but did not answer right away.

Naoko waited anxiously as did the others.

_Two assasins, and now we're having to sneak in. How much more dangerous is this mission supposed to get?_

"I have no choice but to tell you," Tazuna finally answered. "Now, I want you to know the truth. Like you said, this is beyond the scope of your original mssion. The one who seeks my life is a very short man, who casts a very long and deadly shadow."

"A deadly shadow."

Naoko couldn't tell if Kakashi's words were phrased into a statement or a question. _Deadly shadow. Figure of speech. Love to use 'em, hate to hear others do so._

"Hm, who is it?" Kakashi asked.

"You know him. At least I'm sure you've heard his name before."

Naoko's teeth were set on edge. _I hate mysteries! Get to the point, mister!_

"He's one of the wealthiest men in the world," Tazuna continued. "The shipping magnet Gato."

"Gato?" Kakashi questioned. "Of Gato Transport? He's a business leader, everyone knows him."

_Everyone? You're missing someone here!_ Naoko growled and slid down in her seat. _At the rate things are going I'll be better off talking to "fishhead."_

"Who? What, what?" Naruto demanded.

"Gato." Tazuna's face as serious as it always was. "He's a very powerful tycoon from a famous company, that's true. But below the surface with the same ruthless methods he uses to take over businesses and nations, he sells drugs and contraband, using gangs and ninja. It was one year ago when Gato first set his sight on the land of waves. He came to our island and used his vast wealth to take total control of our transport and shipping. Anyone who tried to stand in his way simply disapeared. In an island nation a man who controls the sea controls everything, finance, government, our very lives. But there's one thing he fears - the bridge. When it is complete, it will join us to the land and _that_ will break his control."

He looked up towards the others. "_I_ am the bridgebuilder."

"So that's it," Sakura answered practicaly. "Since you're in charge of the bridge, you're standing in this gangster's way."

"That means, those guys we fought in the forest, they were working for Gato," Sasuke filled in.

"I don't understand," said Kakashi. "If you knew he was dangerous, knew he'd send ninja to eliminate you, why did you hide that from us?"

Naoko leaned back and chewed a nail, noting absently that she had removed one of her gloves earlier without realizing it.

"Because the land of waves," the bridge master answered with wounded pride, "is a small and impoverished nation. Even our nobles have little money. The common people are building this bridge. They can't pay for an "A" or "B" ranked mission. It's too expensive. If you end the mission when you drop me ashore, there will be no bridge. They'll assasinate me before I reach home."

Silence reigned in the small boat.

"But, don't feel bad about that," Tazuna said sarcastically. "Of course my sweet little grandson will be upset, he'll cry, 'Granddad, I want my granddad!'" here the bridge master did an almost hilarious imitation of his grandson's reaction.

The others glared at him. Naoko chocked on a giggle and smothered her laughter in her sleeve.

"Oh, and my daughter will condemn the ninja of the hidden leaves, denouncing and blaming you for abandoning her father and living her life in sorrow."

_Blackmailer. Way to lay on the sympathy._

"Ah, well," Tazuna continued, "It's not your fault. Forget it!"

Kakashi and the others sighed.

"Well," Kakashi answered after rubbing his forehead guard, "I guess we have no choice. We'll have to keep guarding you."

_Blast._

"Aw, I'm very grateful."

_Do not kill the bridge master, do not kill the bridge master, do not - _

Sasuke gripped Naoko's elbow as her fists clenched.

"Watch it," he whispered in her ear.

"Stupid, ignoramous, insufficient - " A jab to the ribs ceased any further muttered insults.

"We're approaching the shore," the oarsman noted.

"Tazuna," the oarsman said as they went further, "We've been very fortunate. No one has noticed us so far."

"Nice going," Tazuna answered.

They entered a dimly lit tunnel under the bridge. Naoko shivered slightly. She didn't like the feeling of being trapped.

She was shocked when they reached the exit however. The place was beautiful! The skies were clear and the water sparkled in the sun. Birds called out against the quiet atmosphere and the trees growing out of the water added to the sense of beauty.

"Yeah," Naruto breathed as he looked around.

Naoko carefully replaced her glove and looked around her as they stepped onto the dock. Old wooden buildings were sturdily built, but other than that there was nothing about them that could be deemed noticable. Tazuna was right; his people were poor.

"That's as far as I go," the oarsman told them. "Good luck."

"Right," Tazuna answered. "Thank you for taking such a risk."

"Just be careful," the oarsman said hurriedly as he started the boat motor and left.

"Okay," Tazuna said turning to the squad. "Take me to my home. And I mean get me there in one piece."

"Yes, your highness," Naoko responded saucily.

"Right," Kakashi answered, putting a hand out to keep Naoko from potentionally taking on the bridge builder that instant.

...

As they walked along the dirt path, Naoko realized Kakashi was looking almost worried.

_He knows what's coming next. How much more dangerous is this supposed to get? _She found herself activating her spinning sharingan - as though that could tell her anything. With a sigh she tuned it down to regular sharingan. No sense being unprepared in case something did happen.

Sasuke meanwhile had begun moving ahead of Naruto on the path.

_And the friendly competition starts again._ Naoko rolled her eyes at the two boys.

Naruto was obviously agitated, and suddenly ran forward and began peering through the trees.

"Over there!" he suddenly shouted as he threw a kunai into the forest.

Everyone shouted out in surprise - excepting Naoko and Sasuke.

Naruto remained in his crouched pose for a moment before straightening and saying, "It was only a mouse."

_Are you kidding me you imbicel! If I wasn't - wait a minute..._ Naoko's spinning sharingan activated as the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

"Mouse, yeah right! Everyone can see through your stupid act! You're so obvious it's embarrasing!" Sakura shouted.

"Naruto, those are kunai knives," Kakashi chastised, "They're dangerous."

"STOP TRYING TO SCARE ME YOU LITTLE DWARF!" Tazuna's shouts could rival the hokage's any day.

"Hey, is someone hiding over there?" Naruto ignored them. "No! They're over there! Hey, huh, OVER THERE!" He threw a kunai into the bushes behind them.

"That's it Naruto!" Sakura shouted as she punched Naruto over the head.

"What - why'd you do that?" Naruto demanded, holding his head. "Someone really is following us, I mean it!"

"Yeah, right!" Sakura yelled back. "Quit lying and acting like a dumb kid!"

Naoko watched as Kakashi pushed aside some of the brush to reveal... a white rabbit.

The poor little thing was in shock as it lay against the tree, foot twitching and eyes wide.

Sakura gasped. "Naruto! Look what you did!"

"Ah! A rabbit! Ahhh!" Naruto ran forward and scooped up the poor little animal. "Oh, I'm so sorry little rabbit! I'm sorry!" he cried as he proceeded to squeeze the life out of it.

Naoko quickly ran to the rescue, gently prying Naruto's hands apart and stroking the bunny's fur.

"All this fuss over a rodent," Tazuna complained.

"He's cute!" Naoko protested, giggling at Sasuke's disgusted face.

Sasuke frowned a moment more, then his features lightened up a bit and he walked over to inspect the hapless creature.

"Aren't white rabbits supposed to only show up around winter?" he mused.

Naoko shrugged. "Maybe he's an albino."

Kakashi however was looking concerned. Naoko left the rabbit to Naruto's mercy and stood up, her senses strained and alert. Sasuke immediatly followed suit.

Kakashi looked up towards the tree in front of Naruto, who was still crying over the terrified rabbit.

Suddenly he whirled around. "Look out!"

Naoko's spinning sharingan launched into effect and she caught sight of the man just as he leaped into the section of trees behind them - and the sword coming their way.

Suddenly Naoko couldn't move. Chaos broke out as everyone else dived. Sasuke suddenly leapt out and pulled her down, breaking her out of her paralysis.

The sword whirled harmlessly above them and stuck itself high up in a tree.

Naoko looked up and allowed her spinning sharingan to give her a discription of the man in front of her. He was tall. Very tall. A mask covered his face, but he looked to be in his thirties, or early forties at the latest. The only weapon he apeared to carry was the enormous sword he was standing on, her sharingan caught the grey aura of his chakra signature which permeated into the surrounding area, crackling with power. This was no ordinary ninja. He was obviously a jounin, and no one to be messed around with.

She saw Naruto clench his fists, determination written across his features.

_Don't do anything stupid Naruto, the competition isn't worth it this time!_

"Well, well, if it isn't Zabuza Momochi, rogue ninja from the village hidden in the mist," Kakashi said as he walked forward.

_He's a rogue ninja? That can't be good!_

The words however appeared to have no affect on Naruto however as he charged forward - only to be stopped by Kakashi's outstretched hand.

"You're in the way. Get back." Kakashi's order was softly spoken but firm.

"But why?" Naruto demanded.

"He's not like those other ninja," Kakashi explained. "He's in a whole other league."

Naoko watched as her sensei slowly lifted his hand towards the headband covering one eye.

Then the Zabuza spoke. "Kakashi, of the sharingan eye. Did I get that right?"

Naoko gasped! _He has sharingan? But he's not an Uchiha! He's not even related! _She looked towards Sasuke. He was openly shocked this time - a feature not often seen on the eve of battle.

"It's too bad, huh?" Zabuza continued, his voice raspy and calm. "But you'll have to hand over the old man."

"Hold it, hold it!" Naoko yelled, her agitation suddenly increasing. "Who're you calling an old man here? I don't take well to people insulting my clients!"

The others looked at her in shock and Zabuza raised an eyebrow.

"Naoko, be quiet!" Kakashi warned, his voice belaying the tension he was feeling.

"Hm," Zabuza observed. "Your genin seems to have trouble controlling her temper."

"Yeah, and you seem to be having trouble controlling your vocal chords," Naoko shot back before anyone could stop her. "You're as boring as Kakashi Sensei!"

Zabuza chuckled, causing the hair on Naoko's neck to stand up on end. "Nice try, kid."

Kakashi pushed Naoko back with his right hand and stepped forward. "Now quick, Monji formation! Protect the bridgebuilder. And stay out of this fight."

_I ain't protectin' no bridgebuilder with that guy around! _Naoko clenched her fists and prepared to disobey a direct order and charge.

"I taught you teamwork," Kakashi continued though. "Now it's time to use it."

_Blast! He's right. Even if I didn't include the others I couldn't abandon Sasuke. We've worked together too long._

Zabuza's eyes narrowed as Kakashi pulled the headband away from his eye, revealing a long scar going from above his eyebrow to below his mask. Then his eyelid opened.

Naoko gasped again. Kakashi's sharingan had _three_ tomoes. _That's not fair! How can he have three of them and I only have one? Sasuke doesn't even have sharingan! How can Kakashi be so much more powerful?_

"Well," Zabuza rasped, "Looks like I get to see the sharingan in action. This is an honor."

_Trust me, you have no idea. _Naoko's own sharingan began spinning again as she felt her anger build.

"Everyone keeps saying sharingan, sharingan! Will someone please tell me what sharingan is?" Naruto shouted.

Naoko's brow furrowed. Obviously Kakashi had not explained the properties of sharingan when she had unintentionally revealed her own in the forest.

"Sharingan." Naoko was surprised to hear Sasuke speak up. "A rare power. It resides in the eyes. The user of this visual jutsu can instantly comprehend any gengutsu, taijutstu, _and_ ninjutsu, and reflect the attack back on the attacker. Sharingan is a special rare form of dojutso. However, there's more to the sharingan than that. A lot more." He sounded almost angry now.

"You got it right, boy," Zabuza replied, "But you've only scratched the surface. The sharingan can analyze the opponent's technique, and then copy it to the smallest detail."

_You mean I can do that? Cool!_

Mist suddenly rolled over, covering the clearing in a dense fog.

"As for you, jounin," Zabusa continued, "In the assasination, you omitted the hidden mist. We had a standing order to destroy you on sight. Your profile was in our bingo book. They called you the man who had copied over a thousand jutsus. Kakashi: the copy ninja."

_Bingo? You mean they play bingo here? Why would Kakashi be a part of it? _Naoko was confused.

"Wow, that's so cool!" Naruto burst in.

Sasuke was just staring at Kakashi, his face a mixture of confusion and bitterness.

_That makes a point. The sharingan is only supposed to show up in the Uchihas, Sasuke's clan. If Kakashi has it...could that mean...?_

"Enough talking," Zabuza growled. "I need to exterminate the old man. Now."

Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto were immediatly standing in front of Tazuna, but Naoko ran up to stand by Kakashi's side.

"Try and get at him, fathead! I dare you!" she spat.

Kakashi pushed her back. "Naoko, I told you to stay out of this."

Zabuza chuckled. "Don't tempt me, kid." He looked at Kakashi. "So, I'll have to eliminate you first, eh Kakashi? So be it."

Naoko bit back a shout of frustration and sped backwards to stand between Sasuke and Naruto. _I hate this feeling of being torn between two sides. How can I protect anyone if I can't decide who is more important to be looking after?_

Just then Zabuzo launched himself away from the tree, taking his sword with him.

"He's over there!" Naruto shouted.

"Standing on the water!" Sakura filled in with surprise.

Naoko watched with shock intermingling on her features. _How is that possible?_ Her regular sharingan activated and she could barely see the grey aura of Zabuza's chakra. Naoko let her spinning sharingan take control and her eyes widened as the light gray cloud turned into a fierce storehouse of power. _That's a lot of chakra he's storing up! What's it for?_

"Ninja art, hidden mist jutsu!" Zabuzu challenged as he disapeared in a swirl of fog.

"He vanished!" Naruto cried.

"Thanks for stating the obvious," Naoko muttered.

"Sensei," Sakura started.

"He'll come after me first," Kakashi warned.

"But, who is he?" Sakura asked.

"Zabuza Momochi," Kakashi explained, "The ex-leader of the hidden mist assasination unit. He's a master of the silent killing technique."

"S-s-silent?" Naruto stuttered.

"As the name suggests, it happens in an instant, without sound or warning of any kind. It's so fast you pass this life without realizing what has happened. The sharingan cannot fully neutrallize it, so **don't lower your guard**."

Naoko twisted her mouth to the side as she considered. _So that's why he told me to stay back. Even he's going to have a hard time fighting this battle._

"Well if we fail," Kakashi responded to his student's gasps, "we only lose our lives."

_Oh, brilliant._ Naoko rolled her eyes at the calm response.

"How can you say that?" Sakura shouted.

"The mist is getting thicker and thicker!" Naruto said in a panicked voice.

"The land of waves is surrounded by ocean," Tazuna explained. "The swirling mists are ever present."

"Sensei!" Sakura cried out as Kakashi disapeared from their sight.

They were alone.

"Eight points."

Naoko started at the sound and peered into the fog above them.

"What's that?" Sakura questioned.

"Larynyx. Spine. Lungs. Liver. Jugular. Subpladian atery. Kidneys. Heart."

"Okay, so now you're just reciting off ways to kill us," Naoko rolled her eyes, earning several horrified gasps from Naruto and Sakura. She made a show of a huge yawn. "First thing when we get back to the village I'm signing up for kitchen duty."

A chuckle split the tension in the air. "Very good. Now...which will be my kill point?"

Naoko's eyes shuttered halfway. "I don't believe this," she mumbled.

Just then there was a burst of blue chakra from Kakashi and the mist around them cleared away. Risking a glance at Sasuke, her concern mounted. He was pale and shaking.

_Sas, what's wrong! _Naoko watched in horror as Sasuke gripped his kunai in both hands ready to do...what?

"Sasuke calm down!" Kakashi's voice rang out, breaking into whatever thoughts had been racing through her friend's mind. "I'll protect you with my life. All of you."

Was that it? Had Sasuke been...afraid? Naoko had never thought it possible. But maybe...maybe he still had the same weaknesses as all of them, even if he never did show them in training.

"I will not allow my comrads to die," Kakashi continued. He turned towards them and smiled under his mask. "Trust me."

_I'm __**overwhelmed**__._ Somehow Naoko didn't feel very reassured right now. At least Sasuke looked calmer.

"I wouldn't be so sure," a voice rasped behind them.

Naoko shrieked and whirled around to see Zabuza standing in between them and the bridgebuilder.

Zabuza looked at Kakashi. "It's over."

Red fog clouded her thinking and this time Naoko didn't hesitate. Eyes swirling like twin hurricanes, she launched herself at Zabuza. His eyes widened slightly and she saw a quick flash of respect glint in them before her kunai dragged itself along his arm.

Naoko had only time for a shallow cut before she felt the flat of Zabuza's sword crash into her, sending her flying into the base of a tree several feet away. Instinctively she curled into a ball, fighting the urge to cry as pain sliced it's way down her spinal chord.

Through the murky haze clouding her brain she saw Kakashi appear out of nowhere and knock Zabuza away from the others. His kunai was buried in the rogue ninja's stomach, but something was wrong.

_That's not blood...that's water._

"Sensei, look out!" Naruto shouted as another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi.

"DIE!" Zabuza shouted as he swung his sword towards him. The sword sliced easily through Kakashi's... water clone.

_Of course - sharingan users can copy the jutsu of their opponents._ Sasuke had run over during the commotion, and Naoko gave a slight gasp of pain as he helped her up.

"I'm fine," she mumbled. He knew she was lying, but now wasn't the time to get hyped up over an injury.

"Don't move," the real Kakashi's voice rang out as he held a dagger to Zabuza's neck. "Now it's over."

_Never say it's over until you know for sure the battle is won. Tips for avoiding stupidity, lesson five._

"You're finished," Kakashi said as triumphantly as a mothball.

"All right!" Naruto yelled, while Sakura laughed nervously.

Naoko sighed. _Guess we managed even after I messed things up after all._

"You all right?" Sasuke asked, still watching Zabuza warily.

Naoko winced and rubbed her back. "I'll live until I can see a medic."

A dry chuckle was heard over the stillness of the forest.

_Uh-oh._

"Finished," Zabuza taunted. "You really don't get it do you?"

Naoko shuddered.

"Your technique is nothing but a terrible imitation. I'll never be defeated by a mere copycat ninja like you." Zabuza laughed again. "You are full of suprises though aren't you. You'd already copied my waterclone jutsu when you made your little speech."

_You mean he wasn't really trying to reassure us after all?_ Naoko felt a twinge of hurt at the thought. _Did he care? Or was he just putting up a show to hide his sharingan?_

"Very skillfully executed," Zabuza continued. "You made your clone say those words to draw my attention while you hid in the mist, waiting for me to make my move."

_How to avoid stupidity lesson 1: NEVER make the first move. Gotta hand it to Kakashi, he's not a jounin for no reason._

"Nice try." Naoko gasped as another Zabuza suddenly appeared behind Kakashi. "But I'm not that easy to fool!"

"Hey that one's a clone too!" Naruto shouted as the Zabuza in front of Kakashi exploded in a fountain of water.

Zabuza's sword swung around, barely missing Kakashi as the joinin ducked. The force of Zabuza's swing buried his sword into the ground, but he wasn't defenseless. A well aimed high kick to the face sent Kakashi soaring through the air and into the water!

"Now!" Zabuza grabbed his sword and ran towards Kakashi, stopping a moment as he encountered a quantity of spikes buried in the ground. Undettered, he lept backwards and into the water.

"Sensei!" Naruto yelled.

"He has great physical skill too," Sasuke noted.

_This is not good._

Kakashi's head popped out of the water and Naoko sighed in relief. It was short lived however as Zabuza appeared behind him!

"Fool," he muttered as he formed a series of hand signs. "Water prizon jutsu!"

"No!" Naoko heard Kakashi cry out as a sphere of liquid enveloped him.

_He can't get out! It's not something he can fight!_

Zabuza chuckled. "This prison is made of water, but it's stronger than steel. It's harder to fight when you can't move," he said sarcastically. "So much for the great Kakashi. I'll finish you off later, but first, your little friends will have to be elliminated."

"I'm not that short!" Naoko screamed at the rogue ninja, her temper and panic overriding her common sense.

_How to avoid stupidity lesson 12: Don't anger your enemy. _She never paid attention to those rules anyways.

"Water clone jutsu!"

Zabuza laughed as a clone of himself appeared out of the lake. "You think wearing a headband makes you a ninja. When you've hovered between life and death so many times it doesn't faze you, then you _may_ be called a ninja. When you've become so deadly your profile is entered in my bingo book, then you _may_ have earned the title 'ninja.'" He lifted his hand in the tiger signal as mist filled the area again. "But to call upstarts like you 'ninja' is a joke!"

"THAT'S IT!" Naoko charged forward, then stopped when her target disapeared.

There was a shout from Naruto as Zabuza's clone suddenly appeared and flung him backwards, knocking off his forehead guard. A crunch was heard as the clone stepped on it.

"You're just brats!" Zabuza's clone growled.

Sasuke drew in a sharp breath.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled.

Naoko started to charge forward, but suddenly something held her back. _This is Naruto's chance. Let him take care of it._

"Listen!" Kakashi yelled from his prison, "Get the bridgebuilder and run! You can't win this fight! He's using all his power to keep me in this prison so he can only fight you with his water clone! But the clone can't go far from his real body. If you get away from him, he can't follow. Now run!"

Naoko rolled her eyes. Kakashi had made a mistake. If there was one thing you didn't say in front of Naoko, it was to that she couldn't beat her opponent.

She gave a sideways glance to Sasuke and knew he was thinking the same thing: Running wasn't an option right now. It didn't matter if they got away. Zabuza would kill Kakashi and come after them. No, they couldn't run. They would stand and fight!

"We've got to do it!" Sasuke suddenly yelled, leaving Naoko to wonder what rock he had crawled out from under.

Sasuke charged towards Zabuza's clone, throwing shuriken as he ran. Naoko was at his side in an instant.

"Considering the fact that you're not legally insane," she panted, "do you mind telling me what you're up to?"

"We have to get Kakashi out of there," was all the Uchiha needed to say.

Naoko grinned. "I love disobeying orders."

She sped around Zabuza, activating her normal sharingan. Naoko ducked as Zabuza's sword swung past her head to deflect Sasuke's sharingan, but a backwards kick sent her sprawling. She rolled to her feet in time to see Zabuza grab Sasuke by the throat and throw him across the clearing!

"Sasuke, no!" Sakura screamed.

Naoko looked between the clone and her friend, then back towards the real Zabuza. _If all his chakra is focused in holding Kakashi and operating his clone...then the real Zabuza is defenseless!_

"Naruto, no!" she heard Kakashi shout. _So the twerp's finally joined the thick of things. Good for you, Naruto!_

Naoko's spinning sharingan activated in an instant as she ran faster than ever before towards the real Zabuza. _If the sharingan can copy techniques...than I can try copying his water jutsu!_

With a tweak of a chakra path she didn't know she had, Naoko stabilized one of her sharingan. With one sharigan spinning and the stable, she studied Zabuza's technique. Naoko could feel the stable sharingan decoding and copying Zabuza's water clone technique while the spinning sharingan anticipated Zabuza's next move.

Zabuza looked at her as though she were an irritating fly. Kakashi's shout rang out as Zabuza's sword swang towards Naoko.

_Ready...and...Now!_ With a final burst of speed Naoko jumped up, balancing her hands on the flat of Zabuza's sword long enough to leap off and sumersault over his head. Her kunai lashed out, barely missing the brain stem in the back of Zabuza's neck as he ducked and slashing a ragged gash behind his ear.

Zabuza roared in pain and anger, almost losing control of his water prison jetsu. Naoko rolled away and dashed behind a tree, where she allowed herself a quick respite to check on her teammates.

Naruto's attack hadn't made it past the clone's defense...but he had his forehead guard. Naoko felt a burst of pride. _Way to go, Naruto. Way to go._

Then she screamed and ducked as Zabuza's clone appeared behind her and swung his sword towards her.

_Too late!_

…**..**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "You know, I should really leave it right there and let it remain a semi-cliffhanger."**

**Nathaniel: "I thought I told you to turn off the computer!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Okay, okay. Bye!"**

**Nathaniel: "ATG doesn't own anything!"**

**Shisui: "Wait, did I miss the - "**

**- Blank Screen - **


	9. Obnoxious Jounin

**Shisui: "The tension is killing me!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Shisui, it doesn't take much to kill you."**

**Nathaniel: "That is true. You are supposed to be dead already."**

**Shisui: "Nobody loves me."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "You'll get over it. Roll film."**

**Nathaniel: "ATG doesn't own anything."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Roll film!"**

**...**

"No!" Kakashi shouted as he saw Zabuza's clone swing his sword into Naoko. The girl crumbled to the ground...then disappeared in a flood of water.

"WHAT?" Zabuza's anger was flooding the banks of his sanity. First the little brat had made it past his defense, and now she had copied his jutsu and he still hadn't managed to kill her!

"How long were you intending to hide the fact that she had sharingan?" he questioned Kakashi in a calmer tone.

Naoko ran back to the others, fear increasing her speed. She was running too fast to stop and was rewarded with a shocked look from Sasuke just before she rammed into him.

"What was that?" he demanded, looking back towards Zabuza.

"Don't ask," Naoko replied as she jumped up and brushed herself off. She did not want to be caught alone with Zabuza's clone again.

Naruto was still having a difficult time getting up. "Hey you," he addressed Zabuza's clone. "You freak with no eyebrows."

_How to avoid stupidity lesson 5: - oh, hang the rules right now - this guy is annoying._

"Put this in your bingo book," Naruto continued, panting heavily. "The ninja who will become hokage of the village hidden in the leaves..." he waited a moment as he retied his forehead guard. "He never backs down."

Naruto pulled the forehead guard ties tight. "His name is Naruto Uzamaki."

_We're doomed._

"All right, Sasuke," Naruto said, all orders now, "Listen up, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I hear you," Sasuke said skeptically.

"Not like anyone could miss him," Naoko muttered.

Naruto was unperturbed. "I've got a plan."

"So you're finally thinking about teamwork, huh?" Sasuke's tone was snide, and Naoko resisted the temptation to punch him in the nose.

"All right, guys?" Naruto's gaze was determined. "Let's go wild!"

Naoko smiled wickedly. _Rock the house._

...

"Okay, ready?" Naruto challenged. "Let's bring this guy down!"

Zabuza's clone chuckled. "Some big words for such a little man. If you think your plan's going to keep you in the game..."

"What are you doing? I told you to run!" Kakashi's angry shout rang out. "This fight was over the moment I got caught! Now take off!"

"Little late for that, Kakashi," Naoko called back, "We've been doing this for the past ten minutes."

"Your mission is not to prove how brave you are! It's to save the bridge builder! Stay on mission!"

"Okay, we're saving him," Naoko called back cheerily. _Prove how brave I am? Who's this guy think he's talkin' to?_

Naruto though, turned back to Tazuna. "Bridge builder?"

"Well...I guess this all happened because of me," Tazuna said hesitantly. "Because of my desire to live. But I won't let that stand in your way now." He looked up. "Forget about me and do what you have to do! Go ahead and fight to save your sensei!"

Sasuke smiled, his gaze serious as always. "All right, you hear that?"

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, believe it, you ready?"

Naoko shrugged. "We're going to die sooner or later. Might as well hurry it along."

Zabuza's clone chuckled. The chuckle turned into a chortle, the chortle into a full out laugh. "You really haven't heard anything, have you?"

His hand shot out. "Still playing your little game, pretending to be ninja."

"Am ninja, **Am** ninja!" Naoko corrected.

Zabuza ignored her. "When I was your age, this hand had already crushed many opponents," the real Zabuza said

_What?_ Naoko was so confused at wondering which Zabuza was talking she missed Kakashi's next statement.

"Oh," Zabuza commented. "So I was in your book too, huh?"

_Wait, so Kakashi plays bingo too?_

Kakashi looked back towards them and explained how in a village known as "blood mist," before one could become ninja, they were required to kill off their classmates.

**(Author's note - I really didn't want to add the whole explanation here)**

Naoko's stomach churned as she listened to Zabuza tell of his own experiences there.

"But," Zabuza's clone said quietly, "It - it felt so...Good!"

With that he was on Sasuke in an instant! Knocking the genin back with his elbow, he drove his elbow into Sasuke's ribs as soon as he hit the ground. Naoko screamed and ran towards him, only to be hit back again by the dull edge of Zabuza's sword.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed.

Naoko shook the stars out of her eyes, her anger blazing as Zabuza planted his foot onto Sasuke's stomach and pressed downwards, evoking a cry from the Uchiha.

"You're nothing," Zabuza chuckled as he continued to lift and drop his foot. Sasuke let out a shout of pain, unable to get away.

"Stop right there!" Naruto cried. "Shadow clone jutsu!"

Naoko's eyes widened as multiple Narutos filled the area. _And I thought one was bad enough!_

She wasted no time however and ran towards Sasuke, dragging him out of the way in time for Naruto's clones to make their attack.

It was soon plain to see that Naruto's clones had no affect on the rogue ninja, but they had served as enough of a distraction for the four genin to put the next part of their plan into action.

"I'm not giving up," Naruto shouted triumphantly, "I've still got this!" He pulled something out of his backpack and tossed it down to Sasuke.

Sasuke gave a rebel yell as he grabbed it, letting it unfurl into a four-pronged shuriken half his own height.

"A shuriken?" Zabuza's clone said skeptically. "You couldn't touch me with that."

Sasuke said nothing as he leapt into the air and sent it spinning towards the clone. The clone didn't move, bowing his head as he waited for the last minute to dodge the flying missile. To his shock though, the shuriken dived past him heading for the true Zabuza...

"So, you passed my clone and aimed for my real body," Zabuza smiled. "Smart. But not smart enough!" he reached behind him and grabbed the shuriken as it passed him by. Then his eyes widened as another shuriken passed in the same pathway of the first.

Naoko smiled. _Shadow Shuriken Jutsu. Can he dodge it? _Naoko clenched her fists and watched anxiously.

Zabuza's eyes widened, then he leaped. The shuriken passed by him harmlessly.

Naoko growled and aimed a glare at Sasuke. He was watching Zabuza intently though, and so she reverted her attention to the ninja in time to see the shurikens turn one by one into Naruto's shadow clones!

"Eat this!" Naruto shouted as he threw a kunai towards Zabuza's head.

...

As the kunai sped towards Zabuza, Naoko finally understood the reason for Sasuke and Naruto's attack. Unable to block the kunai in time, Zabuza was forced to release his hold on the water prison, leaping out of the way and freeing Kakashi!

Zabuza was not finished however, nor was he beyond anger! "I'll destroy you!" he growled at Naruto as he started spinning the shurikan wildly in his hand.

_That's the real Naruto! He's going to - _

There was a clang and a burst of blood. Naoko winced as Kakashi threw up his hand to block the spinning shurikan. She was relieved to see he was wearing metal guards on his gloved hands, preventing his fingers from being completely sawn off.

Behind Kakashi, Naruto landed in the water with a splash.

"Kakashi sensei!" Sakura cried out in relief.

Naoko watched Zabuza's features. She felt quite sure she could safely say the rogue ninja was very scared.

"Naruto," Kakashi addressed the blond ninja, "That was an excellent plan. You've really grown, haven't you?"

_Don't bet on it,_ Naoko thought as Naruto started laughing and jabbering about his idea.

"Don't brag, you just lucked out," Sasuke grinned halfway after Naruto had finally finished.

"The whole thing was just a fluke!" the bridge builder suddenly shouted.

Naoko couldn't help herself this time. She burst out laughing. Tazuna looked at her with bewilderment.

"I don't understand it," Sakura whispered. "They act like they hate each other most of the time, but they're a perfect team!"

_Yeah. Even better than Sasuke and me. _Naoko felt a twinge of jealousy.

"I got distracted and lost my grip on the water prison," Zabuza confessed as he and Kakashi stood in the middle of the water.

"Don't flatter yourself," Kakashi replied. "You weren't distracted, you were forced to let go."

Zabuza growled.

Sasuke suddenly dropped into a ready position. Naoko followed suit. _What are you sensing that I missed?_

"Your technique worked on me once," Kakashi grunted, his voice strained from holding back Zabuza's shurikan. "But it won't work again."

"Huh!" Zabuza said.

"So," Kakashi continued, "What's it going to be?"

Naruto was still bobbing in the water. Sasuke turned to Sakura. "Sakura, you know what to do."

Immediately he and Sakura took a stance in front of the bridge builder. Naoko moved in front of the two, drawing two kunai and activating her spinning sharingan.

Zabuza stared at Kakashi a moment more. "Huh."

Suddenly he folded the shuriken and started pressing down on it with all his strength. Kakashi grunted and strained as it pressed harder on his wrist, then he flung his arm out causing the shurikan to spin into the atmosphere.

Both ninjas leapt away from each other at the same time.

Zabuza made some sort of hand movement and Naruto gasped.

"The sharingan," Sasuke breathed as he watched Kakashi.

Naoko snorted. _Big deal, it's right in front of you, thickhead._

Next minute Naoko couldn't hold back her laughter as Zabuza began chanting along with the hand signals he was forming. She fell to the ground holding her stomach and pounding the ground in mirth.

"I can't help it! It's so hilarious!" she chortled.

Sasuke glared at her. "Naoko, get up! This isn't the time for jokes!"

(**Author's note: If you haven't seen that part (it's in episode 8 or 9 I think) Zabuza really is quite funny)**

Naoko looked up, heard Kakashi begin chanting his own jutsu, and collapsed on the ground again. She stopped as the realization hit her - the two ninjas were creating identical hand signals. _Of course! Kakashi is copying Zabuza hand signal for hand signal! That's why Sasuke noticed the sharingan!_

Then she was back on the ground again as they both cried out unanimously, "Water style, water dragon jutsu!"

_I will never understand why they have to say the jutsu they are performing. Isn't the idea to surprise your enemy instead of telling them right off what you're about to do next?_

The two dragons swirled and twisted, each unable to gain control over the other. Then a wave of water washed up on land, and Naoko and the team got unexpectedly _wet_.

Naoko sat there shivering a moment, then started screaming at the top of her lungs.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAhh! I! Hate! Getting! Wet!"

Sasuke hit her over the head with a kunai.

...

When she came to seconds later Naruto was still in the water (wasn't he about to catch pneumonia by now?), and Kakashi and Zabuza were clashed sword to kunai.

Hearing a slight footstep above, Naoko's sharingan spun into action as she caught sight of a slight figure in the tree.

_Water jutsu. _That was the first thing that her spinning sharingan picked up. _Definitely powerful, but he can't be much older than me...and...it's a guy. He's wearing a dress, and he's a guy. I think Sasuke hit me over the head a little harder than he realized._

Zabuza and Kakashi suddenly broke away again, landing a few feet apart from each other. They started circling.

Naoko tried not to laugh, but something about watching two ninja masters running in slow circles across the water was rather hilarious. She raised an eyebrow as Kakashi and Zabuza stopped abruptly then both formed the same hand signal at the same time.

_Oh, so Zabuza's trying to get the upper hand and Kakashi's copying all his movements. Smart._

"He's not just following," Tazuna remarked as though reading her thoughts. "He moves the same way at the same time!"

"How's he doing that, how Sasuke?" Sakura questioned.

Sasuke didn't answer, but he looked excited.

"Going to do next?" Kakashi said unexpectedly.

_Huh?_

"It makes you furious, doesn't it?" Kakashi said as he mimicked another of Zabuza's moves.

Suddenly they both said, "You can't beat me with cheap tricks! I'll crush you."

Zabuza groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, obviously most irritated.

"He's reading Zabuza's mind," Naoko said softly.

"Huh?" Sakura gave her a questioning look.

"When I get through with you, you'll never open that monkey-mouth again!" Zabuza shouted.

"Yep, he's lost his cool." Naoko grinned. _How to avoid stupidity lesson 6: Never show your anger to your enemy._

A shadowy figure suddenly appeared behind Kakashi, forming a clone of Zabuza. Naoko was about to cry a warning...when she realized Zabuza looked as surprised as she was.

_Wait...my sharingan is showing me it's...that's Kakashi's jutsu?_

"Water style, water vortex jutsu!"

Naoko's spinning sharingan instinctively zoomed in on Kakashi's sharingan. The tomoes were whirling in a circle around the iris. The only difference now between his sharingan and hers was the distinct line that formed around her iris when her own sharingan began whirling.

As she watched, a wall of water formed a ring around Kakashi, then leaped out and spun around Zabuza, enveloping him in an enormous whirlpool.

Naoko's sharingan noted something she missed; the move had been Zabuza's. Kakashi had copied it a split second before Zabuza had even had a chance to use it. _How does he __**do**__ this stuff?_

Once again the group was doused in water, but Naoko was getting pretty used to it by this time. Naruto was finally washed ashore, where he clung to a tree branch.

The figure standing in the tree above them just watched.

Then he disappeared.

As the waters abated slightly, Zabuza was flung gasping against a tree. Suddenly he jerked back as a kunai caught him in each arm and leg.

Naoko looked up and saw Kakashi standing in the tree above the rogue ninja.

"You're finished," the sensei stated.

Naoko had to agree that this time Kakashi was probably correct.

"How?" Zabuza finally asked. "C-can you...s-see into the future?"

"Yes," Kakashi said. "This is you last battle. Ever."

Before he could throw a final kunai however, two small blades launched out and hit Zabuza in the neck. He grunted and fell to the ground.

Everyone gasped as the rogue ninja fell. Naoko swung around and saw the mysterious figure standing in a tree some small ways away.

He laughed, and Naoko could have sworn he was a girl.

"You were right. It was his last battle."

The others just looked at the figure in the tree.

_He's looks like he's wearing an ANBU mask. Does that mean he's on our side? _No. The chakra reading her sharingan picked up was definitely against them. _Why isn't Kakashi doing anything?_

Kakashi leaped towards Zabuza who was lying on the ground, eyes open wide in rigor mortis.

Sasuke watched warily as Kakashi felt for a pulse.

Kakashi gave a slight sigh. "No vital signs."

_What? But that's impossible!_ Naoko's spinning sharingan was _definitely _picking up a live chakra signal. _Can't he see it?_

The figure on the tree gave a bow. "Thank you. I've been tracking Zabuza for a long time. Waiting, for this chance to finally take him down."

_The markings on his mask - they're the same as the ones on Zabuza's forehead guard._ Naoko looked towards Kakashi, confusion written all over her face. _Doesn't he __**notice **__any of these things?_

"By you mask, I see you're a tracker ninja from the village hidden in the mist." Naoko could sense the suspicion lacing Kakashi's voice, and she sighed in relief.

_He did notice._

The figure looked up. "Impressive. You're well informed."

"Agh! A tracker!" Naruto shouted as he ran in front of the bridge builder.

"Naruto, you don't even know what that is," Sakura chided. "You missed the lesson on it a usual..."

Naoko didn't pay attention to the rest of Sakura's explanation. She was too busy studying the figure. _Who are you?_

"That's correct," the tracker responded. "I'm a member of the elite tracking unit of the village hidden in the mist. It was my duty to stop Zabuza."

Something in his statement fell flat - like it's wasn't entirely false, but not exactly the truth.

Naruto ran to the base of the tree, looking from Zabuza's body, to Kakashi, to the tracker, and back to Zabuza again. He looked like he wanted to attack the tracker but wasn't sure.

"What is this? Who do you think you are?" Naruto demanded. He was panting heavily.

"Did you hear me?" he yelled when the tracker did not answer.

"Easy, Naruto," Kakashi stood up. "He's not our enemy."

_Yeah, right! Something's wrong here and I'm siding with Naruto right now!_

"That's not the point, did you see what he did, just like that?" Naruto continued to yell. "Zabuza was huge, and powerful like some kind of monster, and this kid, who's no bigger than me, he brought down Zabuza with one move, like it was nothing! I mean, what does that make us? We're just fumbling around. We don't even know anything. How can I accept that?"

_He's right. All of us beaten by one kid? I'm beginning to question Konoha's training methods._

"Well," Kakashi said blandly as he walked up to the furious genin, "Even if you don't accept it, still," he leaned down. "It did happen, Naruto."

Naruto looked like he'd been struck down. He grunted as Kakashi put out a heavy hand to ruffle the genin's hair.

"In this world," Kakashi continued, "There are kids who are younger than you...and yet...stronger than me."

Sasuke hissed in frustration as Kakashi looked towards him.

_Who got on his bad side?_

Naoko watched as the tracker disappeared in a swirl of wind and reappeared next to Zabuza. He carefully lifted the rogue ninja to his shoulders. "Your struggle is over for now," he said. "I must deal with the remains. There are many secrets in this body, and they must not be allowed to get in the wrong hands. Please excuse me," the tracker said as he lifted a hand to his mask. "Farewell."

Naoko watched as the tracker disappeared with Zabuza's body in a swirl of mist.

"Huh? He disappeared!" Naruto cried out.

Kakashi sighed and replaced the forehead guard over his left eye. "He's gone, Naruto," he said gently as Naruto ran to the tree and started looking around wildly.

"Agh! What are we doing here?" Naruto shouted as he fell to his knees and began punching the ground. "I'm nothing! I can't believe it!"

"Naruto," Sakura said softly.

Sasuke was looking on with his usual disgust, and this time Naoko agreed with him somewhat. _Naruto, you could find something better to do with your anger than take it out on perfectly good soil._

Kakashi finally walked forward and caught hold of Naruto's wrist. "As ninja," he said, "The things we encounter are never easy. Save your anger...for the next enemy."

_Remind me to send that to the author of "Lessons on How to Avoid Stupidity."_

Naruto sighed and looked down.

Kakashi turned to the others. "We haven't completed our mission yet. We still have to get the bridge builder to his bridge."

Tazuna laughed. "Sorry I caused all this trouble for ya," he said light heartedly. "But, ah, you can rest at my house when we get to the village."

_I take it back - you __**are**__ annoying._

"All right," Kakashi replied. "Let's get a move on." But as he walked forward he suddenly stopped. Kakashi seemed to freeze in mid-step, then he fell forward to the ground.

"Kakashi sensei!"

...End Chapter 3...

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Well, there's the last section of the first part of the land of waves arc for you."**

**Shisui: "You didn't put me in **_**any**_** of it!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Naoko turned the phone off - you were being ignored."**

**Shisui: "You can't leave me out! I make up the entire plot!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Dude, the story is about Naoko. You're just a side effect."**

**Shisui: "Well I think I should be a part of it. I started the whole thing after all." (Sulks in a corner.)**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Dude, I did it for Sa - Hey, what are you doing?"**

**Shisui: "I'm changing the plot line to add me in it!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "You can't rewrite the story!"**

**Shisui: "Who says so?"**

**Ryuu: (Reads over Shisui's shoulder) "Just then a tall shining figure appeared behind Zabuza. 'My name is Shisui Uchiha, and I am here to avenge my clan.'"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: (shrieks) "Shisui get off the computer!"**

**(Crashes and shouts take place in the background)**

**Ryuu: "Oh well, guess this leaves me to finish the commentary. New story means the writer is anxious to know what you think of it."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I'm anxious for Shisui to keep off my word document!" (Crash heard in background)**

**Ruyuu: (Laughs) "Review please!"**


	10. Frightening Realizations

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Chapter 10 is up!"**

**Nathaniel: "Actually, it's technically chapter 11. The first chapter was just a prologue."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: (scowls while typing on computer) "Are you going to keep that up the rest of the story?"**

**Nathaniel: "Someone has to put you in line."**

**Shisui: (Pops up out of the blue) "Am I in it?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Um, actually - "**

**Eri: (Jumps onto Shisui's back and peers over his shoulder) "Ooh! Can I be in it this time?"**

**Shisui: "You're too young!"**

**Eri: "I'm thirteen now!"**

**Shisui: "No you're not! You just turned eleven two weeks ago!"**

**Eri: "Awww!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Guys, stop arguing or so help me I **_**will**_** wait until chapter three hundred to bring you **_**both**_** in!"**

**Eri: "I never get to do anything fun!" (Stomps off)**

**Shisui: (mutters) "Spoiled."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "There's plenty of room for you on that list!"**

**Nathaniel: "Review please. Roll film!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Hey, that's my call!"**

**Nathaniel: "I just - "**

**A Tragic Galaxy: (puts a hand over Nathaniel's mouth) "Roll film!"**

**...**

Naoko was sitting by Kakashi's bedside when the sensei first began to wake up.

"Kakashi sensei!" she gave a small cry, then clapped a hand over her mouth as she heard Tazuna's daughter enter the room.

"Waking up, huh?" Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, asked in a strict tone. "Are you all right?"

"I've been better," Kakashi sighed. He attempted to sit up. "It'll be a week before I can move (grunt) normally."

"See?" Tsunami chastized as she stood there, hands on her hips, "It's better if you don't move. So just lie down."

Naoko stiffled a giggle.

Kakashi sighed and submitted to the mother's authority. "Right," he said as he lay back down again.

The door of the room opened as Naruto, Sakura, Tazuna, and Sasuke came in.

"Look, the sensei's coming around," Naruto said.

_**The sensei**__? Boy, what a title. I hope I never pass the jounin exams if that's what I have to look forward to._

"Listen, sensei," Sakura said as she knelt by Kakashi's bedside, "Your sharingan is amazing and everything, but if it put that much strain on you maybe it's not worth it."

"Sorry," Kakashi apologized.

_Wait - is it possible to overuse your sharingan, like with your chakra? Or is it because Kakashi isn't an Uchiha so his body isn't used to it?_

"Huh." Tazuna grunted. "Well, you did take down one of the most powerful ninja assasins so we'll be safe for a while."

"Right," Sakura said softly. "But, you know, that boy with the mask? What about him?"

"He's from the elite tracking unit from the village hidden in the mist," Kakashi explained. Those masks are only worn by the most elite shinobi."

"What exactly do they do?" Sakura questioned.

"The ANBU black ops, also known as the inferno squad, destroy all traces of a rogue ninja's corpse," Kakashi answered. "The shinobi's body contains many secrets. Ninjutsu. Chakra. Special medicines used on his body. These are the secrets of his village. If his enemies find them, he will be in grave danger. For instance, if I were to die at the hands of an enemy, he would try to analyze my sharingan. In the worst case, my entire jutsu could be stolen and used against our home village. It is the sacred duty of the shinobi trackers to prevent this. To keep the village secrets safe. If a ninja betrays his village the trackers hunt him down, eliminate him, and obliterate every trace of the ninja's existence. That's their specialty."

Kakashi put a hand over his right eye and said nothing more. He looked very troubled all of a sudden.

Naoko's brow furrowed. "What's wrong with him?" she asked Sasuke softly. He gave a tiny shrug, at a loss for explanation.

"Hey, are you okay?" Naruto blurted in. "Sensei?" he asked again when Kakashi didn't respond.

"Hm? Oh, yeah," Kakashi straightened. "To finish what I was saying, tracker ninja deal with the body immediatly - on the spot. That way there's no room for error."

"Is that...really important?" Sakura asked.

"Think about it," Kakashi said. "Do you remember what that tracker did with Zabuza's body?"

"We don't know what he did," Sakura said hesitantly. "I mean, I guess he took it away somewhere."

"Exactly," Kakashi said. "But why? He should have worked on Zabuza right there, as quickly as possible. Think of the weopons he used for the takedown. Do you remember what they were?"

"Throwing needles," Sasuke answered, understanding dawning on his face. "No way...!"

"Exactly," Kakashi confirmed. "None of it adds up."

"What are you all yammering about," Tazuna interrupted. "You demolished that assasin!"

"Here's the truth," Kakashi looked Tazuna in the eye. "Zabuza is still alive."

"BLAST!" Naoko shouted as the others gasped in shock.

"But we saw his body, believe it!" Naruto shouted.

"Kakashi Sensei, you checked him yourself! You said that his heart stopped!" Sakura put in.

"His heart did stop," Kakashi responded, "But, that was just a temporary state. To stimulate death."

"I knew it," Naoko moaned as she dropped her head in her hands.

"What?" All eyes were on her.

Naoko groaned. "I checked his body with my sharingan. His chakra signal showed he was still living."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kakashi almost yelled.

"I thought you would have noticed it!" Naoko shouted in remorse. "Your sharingan is better than mine! I thought you would see it!"

"YOU MEAN YOU JUST PUT MY LIFE IN JEOPARDY AGAIN JUST BECAUSE YOU **THOUGHT** KAKASHI KNEW HE WASN'T DEAD?" Tazuna was practically in Naoko's face shouting at her.

"I - I don't know!" Naoko screamed back. She scrambled up and ran from the room, slamming the door open in her haste to leave. Dodging around Tazuna's grandson and ignoring the shouts of the others, she welcomed the instinctive activation of her spinning sharingan. Extra pressure from her raging emotions strained against her eye, but she ignored it.

Naoko flew. Her feet barely touched the ground as she ran, swerving to miss trees and passerbyers who sprang up in her way.

"What was that?" she heard several people call as she dashed by them. But she didn't pay them any notice.

_How could I be so stupid! I should have told Kakashi sensei! Now the whole mission is in jeopardy and it's all my fault!_

Naoko stopped deep within the forest, fighting the urge to cry. _I ruined everything._ She wandered through the woods for several minutes before catching sight of an old tree. It was rotted all the way through, making a sort of cave. Looking around first to make sure no one was watching, Naoko crawled inside and curled up in a ball. She didn't want to show her face near her squad again. _Maybe I could join the ANBU ops. Then I could wear a mask and no one would know who I was. _Naoko tried to stay awake, but the strain of holding in her emotions was too much for her. Within minutes she was asleep.

.…..

**Shisui: "Wow, really angsty ATG. Don't you have anything better – "**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "One more word and I'm writing you out of the script!"**

**Ryuu: (voice dripping with sarcasm) "Hey, much as I love your arguing, you're kind of keeping the readers waiting here."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: (Sighs) "Oh, very well. Sorry guys! Roll film."**

…

_He stood over her, sword drawn and eye blood red. She heard her parent's shouts, then watched them fall. She screamed, a bloodcurdling sound. He smiled. She could see it in his eye. A sickening grin, bloodthirsty and malovent. His sword swung towards her, then..._

"All right, training begins now," Kakashi's voice broke into Naoko's nightmare, shattering it and waking her with a start.

_Where am I? What - ?_

Memories of the conversation earlier crept into her mind and she lay still, scarcely breathing in hopes that they would not find her.

"First, you will begin with the review of chakra, a ninja's basic source of power. Understanding chakra is essential."

"We know that," Sasuke said snidely.

"He's right," Naruto added. "A long time ago we learned about...uh...catchra."

"Chakra," Kakashi corrected with moan. He waved a hand to Sakura. "Go ahead, Sakura."

"All right, Naruto," Sakura said primly, "I'll explain it simply so _you_ can understand it."

_I don't need to listen to all this stuff._ Naoko felt a little hurt though that they had commenced with training as though she weren't even there. They hadn't even gone looking for her. _Guess it serves me right for running away. Still..._

"Right on all points," Kakashi broke into her thoughts as he responded to Sakura's explanation. "Iruka sensei really _did_ have some excellent students."

"Ah! What's the big deal, all these complicated explanations! The whole point is to learn the jutsu, isn't it?" Naruto complained.

"Naruto's right for once," Sasuke said blandly. "We're already using chakra energy in our jutsu."

_Wow, it's not too often Naruto and Sasuke agree. Either Sasuke really needs a vacation or Sakura studies too much. _

"No," Kakashi said sternly, "You have not mastered this power, you've barely scratched the surface of it."

"What do you mean?" Naruto yelled.

"Calm down and listen," Kakashi said. "It's just like Sakura said. You have to draw on physical _and _spiritual energies, and then combine them within yourself. But, how do you do that? Each jutsu requires different types of jutsu in different proportions. You must select and combine them in exactly the right way. Up till now you've just guessed at the proportions, hoping they'd come out right. Even if you can produce a lot of chakra, unless you balance and control it it's all worthless. The jutsu won't work at all, or it will just be a joke. You waste so much energy that way. Then you're out of chakra, and you can't fight at all. You're just a target."

"Uh, so how do we change that?" Naruto scratched his head and laughing nervously.

Kakashi was serious. "Train so hard that controlling your chakra become second nature. To achieve this goal you must be ready to put your life on the line."

"What...do we have to do?" Sakura asked.

"Hm. Climb a tree," Kakashi said simply.

_What?_ Naoko nearly gave away her hiding place as she started to jump up in surprise.

"Climb a tree!" the other three genin cried out in disbelief.

"That's right," Kakashi said. "But, there's just one rule. No hands."

"What? You're kidding!" Sakura said.

"Am I?" Kakashi's voice took on that annoying tone that set Naoko's teeth on edge. "Let's see." Kakashi's hands formed a signal, and there was a small poof of dust at his feet. He slowly walked over to the tree using his crutches, and proceeded to walk _up_ the tree, body parallel to the ground.

Naoko's eyes widened as she watched. When Kakashi began walking upside down on a limb, she nearly lost it with sheer disbelief. Excitedly she let her regular sharingan take over and copy the details. _So that's what you do! _

"Now you get the idea," Kakashi said as he hung upside down. "Focus the chakra towards the soles of your feet and use it to connect to the tree. This is one way to apply the power of chakra."

"Wait a minute!" Sakura broke in. "That's a nice trick, but how does it help us fight Zabuza?"

_She's got a point._

"It's the only way you'll fight him, Sakura," Kakashi responded, still upside down. "That's the entire goal of this training. First you'll learn to draw a precise amount of chakra to a precise point in your body. This is difficult even for advance ninja. This type of climbing requires a subtle mix of physical and spiritual energy, and the bottoms of the feet are the most difficult places to focus chakra." He added in an annoyed tone, "Are you getting the picture?"

"If you can master this, you'll be able to master any jutsu. Well...theoretically. The second point is to be able to maintain your chakra levels. When a ninja is focused in battle, it's even harder to maintain his level of chakra, a deadly mistake. To avoid this, maintaining chakra must become second nature, effortless."

_So that's how I can learn to control my chakra blasts if I absorb someone else's charka!_ Naoko though excitedly. _Kakashi's teaching me and he doesn't even know I'm here!_

"Well I could talk about this all day," Kakashi continued, "But that won't advance your skills, will it. You need to apply the power of chakra, through training. With that he drew out three kunai and threw them out to land at Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto's feet. Naoko sucked in a breath as a fourth one came whistling towards her.

"Naoko, you might want to join in this lesson," Kakashi said without pause. "Use the kunai knife to mark the tree at the highest point you can climb. Without using your hands. Then try to get past that point the next time. And the next. At first you will need to run at the tree so your momentum will take you as high as possible, until you get used to it. Ready?"

"I'm more than ready, this is going to be no sweat all the way!" Naruto shouted. "Believe it! Remember what you said, sensei, I'm the ones that's grown the most!"

_Could have fooled me..._

"Definitely the one who talks the most," Kakashi droned. "Now get focused and do it!"

Naoko groaned and carefully crawled out of her hiding place. _How did he know I was there?_ she considered as she picked up the kunai knife. Naoko looked at Kakashi, wondering if he was going to lecture her for running away, but he just nodded his head towards a tree. Naoko sighed. She might as well get going.

As Naoko watched, Naruto fell off the tree immediately and rolled on the ground, clutching his head. Sasuke managed to make it several feet up before he stepped too hard, broke into the tree bark, and fell backwards, landing on his feet.

"Hey, this is fun!" Sakura's voice piped up above them.

Naoko, Sasuke, and Naruto looked up in astonishment to see Sakura sitting on a limb close to the top. Sakura laughed at the shocked looks on their faces.

"Well," Kakashi teased, "looks like the f_emal_e member of this squad is the most advanced chakra user. Well done, Sakrua."

Sakura stuck her tongue out at Sasuke and Naruto and giggled.

"Yeah, way to go, Sakura!" Naruto cheered. "I always knew you were awesome, believe it!"

_Liar._

"We spoke about _someone_ becoming hokage, didn't we?" Kakashi continued. "Seems Sakura's got the best chance of that. Wouldn't you say? And Naoko. You didn't even try."

Naoko growled at the derisive tone in Kakashi's criticism. _I wasn't ready yet!_

And as for the great Uchiha clan, maybe they're not so great after all."

_That's it! Insult Sasuke as you wish, but NEVER touch his clan name!_

"Shut up, sensei!" Sakura yelled, rising to Sasuke's defense.

_Dude, __**I**__ was going to take care of that!_

"There, I think they're motivated now," Kakashi answered.

Motivated was the wrong word. Driven by revenge might have been closer. Glove removed and sharingan blazing, Naoko raced up Kakashi's tree.

She didn't need to learn how to focus her chakra. She had been doing that for years. The hokage, aware of her capabilities, had taught her how to regulate her chakra levels early on in hopes that future discoveries of her absorbing powers didn't blow up the village. Naoko had never understood the purpose of those lessons. Until now.

Kakashi once again had the grace to appear surprised as Naoko leaped from the tree trunk onto the limb he was still standing upside down on. A light touch of her fingers to Kakashi's foot was all it took for a small burst of extra chakra to sweep into Naoko's bloodstream. Carefully directing it to her hands, she let it loose on the tree limb.

All of this happened in mere seconds, and Kakashi's eyes widened as the tree limb cracked under him and fell. Unfortunately Naoko had misjudged the possible side affects of the blast and was flung into the tree as her chakra was released. She grunted as her back, still sore from the fight with Zabuza, hit the trunk and she lost her footing. Naoko screamed as she started to fall.

Kakashi meanwhile had, rather like a cat, managed to land on his feet quite easily. He ran out, abandoning his crutches, and managed to catch Naoko just before she hit the ground.

Naoko clung to Kakashi for a minute, gasping for breath. She looked up towards the broken tree limb and started to laugh nervously.

"That was fun," Naoko squeaked. "Can I do it again?"

Kakashi sighed. "I _told_ you, don't practice your absorbing chakra on your allies!"

Naoko looked away as Kakashi put her down. "Sorry," she mumbled with all due shame.

Kakashi picked up Naoko's glove from where it had dropped when she fell and handed it back to her before gathering his crutches. "Listen to me next time. You could get yourself killed! Or worse, one of your squad members!"

Naoko nodded, not trusting her voice. Her teammates were staring at her, and she growled and shook her hair back, stalking away from the tree.

As she stomped over and grabbed her kunai knife from where it had fallen to the ground, she noticed Inari, the bridge builder's grandson, walking away.

_Was he watching us this whole time?_

Well, whether he had been spying or not, Naoko had better things to worry about...other than the fact that it wasn't exactly the safest thing for a kid to be wandering alone in the forest when there were killer ninja on the loose.

Naoko shook her head. She was going to have to talk to the kid's mother about this. Carefully she walked up to the tree and studied it. Doing this again without the aid of the adrenaline her anger supplied her with was going to be harder. Concentrating carefully, Naoko redirected her chakra to her feet. Step one was easy. Her foot stuck to the tree like a magnet. _So far so good..._

The minute she put the next foot up though, Naoko's body bent backwards and her head thwacked against the ground. She fell to the ground in an undignified heap. _Owww!_

"Hahahaha!" Naruto laughed. "You can't even - yipe!"

Naoko threw her kunai at the blond ninja's head - intentionally missing of course. Then she calmly walked over to where the knife had stuck in Sasuke's tree, plucked it out, and stalked back to her own tree. Redirecting her chakra again, she allowed a part of it to flow throughout the rest of her body, hoping this would allow it to stay straight while she stood parallel to the ground. Carefully taking two steps up the tree, Naoko once again redirected her chakra to make up for balance and continued walking. She made it halfway up the tree before her concentration wavered and she fell backwards.

_Blast!_ Naoko flipped in the air midway and landed in a roll at the base of the tree. Kakashi was right. She could redirect her chakra easy enough, but maintaining it for a lengthy period of time was harder. She was going to need a _lot_ more practice.

Several hours later Naoko was remaking her promise never to overestimate her abilities again. Retaining her balance and focusing her chakra at the same time was overload for her brain and while she had far less bruises than the others she was still having a hard time with the training exercise.

Taking a quick breather at the base of the tree, Naoko studied her teammates. Sasuke and Naruto were still charging at their own trees, each determined to outmatch the other. Sakura had collapsed on the ground in exhaustion. They were all bruises, scraped, and had streaks of tree sap on their clothes. Looking at her own outfit, Naoko grimaced and realized she was going to need to visit the drycleaners herself once this mission was over.

Naruto finally collapsed on the ground again and lay still. _Guess even the hyperactive ninja has a limit. _

The blond ninja sat up and rubbed his head a bit, screamed at the tree, then surprisingly walked over to Sakura.

"Uh, hey, you're good at this." Naoko heard him say softly behind his hand. "How about some advice."

_Well, what do you know._

…**.**

**Shisui: "What was that? You call that an ending? That's the stupidest thing I've ever seen!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I had to find a transition point somewhere!"**

**Shisui: "Try something like this. 'Well what do you know - the great warrior Shisui Uchiha had returned.'"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Stop writing yourself into my script."**

**Nathaniel: "You can cut the commentary now!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Review!"**

**Shisui: "Or maybe, 'At last, the one true surviving Uchiha had returned to Konoh-"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "That 'one true surviving Uchiha' is about to become a **_**dead **_**Uchiha!"**

**Shisui: "Hey, it makes for a better story!"**

**Nathaniel: "I don't believe this. Turning off the computer now."**

**Shisui: "Hey, wait - I wasn't done yet."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Review!"**


	11. Shisui Uchiha?

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Some of these chapters are shorter because of transition points. I've been breaking 20,000 word chapters into smaller segments, so I'm trying to make the change as smooth as possible."**

**Nathaniel: "ATG, nobody cares."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I just wanted to let them know!"**

**Shisui: "Am I in it?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Yes, you're finally **_**in **_**it! Now would you get out of the commentary!"**

**Shisui: "I'm an annoying character. That's what commentary is for."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "'Annoying' is putting it lightly."**

**Shisui: "I take insult at that!"**

**Ryuu: "Whatever! She's probably right you know."**

**Shisui: "When did you come in?"**

**Ryuu: "I've been here ever since you two started arguing!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Whatev. Roll film!"**

**Shisui: "Wait, so are you saying - "**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "ROLL FILM!"**

**...**

Sakura gave a huge yawn as she sat back on the bridge construction, watching the workemen. Naoko was slouched against one of the supports reading a book. After twelve hours of nonstop practice, she had finally mastered the art of "tree-walking." After which of course, she had immediately collapsed from chakra overuse.

"Are you always this lazy?" Tazuna's grouchy voice spoke up.

Sakura stopped mid-yawn and put her hand down.

"Where's that wierd blond kid and the one with the attitude?" Tazuna asked.

Naoko smiled at the bridgebuilder's perfect description of Sasuke.

"They're training. Climbing trees," Sakura explained.

"Too tough for you?" Tazuna commented.

"No," Sakura sneered, "In fact I'm the best!"

_Really. Yeah, right. _Naoko was too comfortable to argue the point other than in her own head.

"That's why the sensei sent us here to guard you," Sakura continued.

Tazuna looked down at her with some disdain. "You're joking."

Sakura growled.

Naoko let out a quick snort of laughter. _Touche._ Then her cell phone rang unexpectadly, and she let out a yelp as her book nearly toppled into the water below. Her sharingan spun at tornado speed as her hand lashed out to grab it in time. _Phew! That was close! What in the blazes was that - I thought I turned my phone on vibrate!_

_"Blast it all," _Naoko mumbled under her breath as her cell phone rang again. Not recognizing the number, she flipped it open and held it too her ear.

"WHERE IN THE FIVE VILLAGES HAVE YOU BEEN ALL THIS TIME! I'VE BEEN TRYING AND TRYING TO CALL YOU!"

Naoko flipped backwards at the unexpected ranting and this time was unable to save her book as it flew over the railing and disapeared into the waters below.

"Oh, come on!" she moaned. Then she shouted back into the phone, "WHAT WAS THAT FOR? WHAT'RE YOU TRYING TO DO, SCARE ME TO DEATH? WHO ARE YOU ANYWAYS?"

"Ummm, Shisui Uchiha?" the now much subdued voice answered back.

Naoko's eyes widened. Sakura and the bridgebuilder were staring at her now, and she quickly ran off the bridge towards a more secluded area.

"Shisui!" she hissed into the phone. "What are you doing here?" Well, here wasn't exactly the best metaphor.

"Dude, I've been trying to get ahold of you for weeks!" he cried out, not appearing to understand the meaning of the phrase "silence is golden."

Naoko sighed. This was getting wierder and wierder. "What are you talking about? I thought you got killed in the Uchiha massacre!"

"Uhhhh...slight... miscalculation," he squeaked on the last word, "on the part of Itachi. I thought you knew about that."

Naoko gave a growl that turned into a yell of frustration. "I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"

"Dude, the double mangekyo! The fishhook! You caught it in my ear, remember? Dad wouldn't talk to me for a week because he thought I'd gone and got my ears pierced!" There was a pause on the phone. "You mean you don't remember any of that."

Naoko shook her head before remembering she was on the phone and the other person couldn't see her. "N-no. I don't have any idea what you're saying." She was starting to feel a little nervous.

_"Blast it all,_" she heard the voice on the phone - should she really refer to him as 'Shisui' now? - say softly. "You mean you have no idea what I'm talking about."

"No," Naoko said, shaking her head. "I - I don't."

The voice on the phone sighed. "Alright. I guess this is my fault. We need to talk. What's your favorite restaraunt?"

"I'm not going on a date with you!" Naoko yelled into the phone. "And I don't want you anywhere near me!"

"No, no, no!" Shisui groaned. "I just need to talk with you. Any place you pick, whether alone or around other people is fine. But now that I've blurted everything out I should probably tell you what's going on around here."

"I'm not talking to you any further!" Naoko spat back, her fury overtaking her fear. "And don't call me again!" She flipped her phone shut and ran back to the bridge.

...

Late in the afternoon they headed back to the village. At first Sakura pestered Naoko about what made her run off, but when she got no answers she left her alone. Naoko for her part said next to nothing for the rest of the day. She was shaken by the call, and she had a bad feeling she hadn't heard the last of "fishhead."

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked as they walked down the pathway through the village square.

"You want to eat, don't ya?" the bridgebuilder said gruffly. "I gotta pick up some things for dinner. What's the problem with your friend over there?"

"Nothing," Naoko said softly as she realized Tazuna was speaking about her.

"Nuthin', huh?" The bridgebuilder was skeptical. "Well I think that 'nuthin' is 'somethin,' or you wouldn't be all mopey and acting like your world's about to come to an end."

Naoko shot him a glare.

"Here we are," Tazuna said as he stopped at a run down old shop.

Naoko was shocked as they entered. The shelves were nearly bare. A few vegetables were scattered across each, mainly roots and a few green plants.

Her sharingan spinned in warning, and Naoko looked behind her to see a man slipping his hand towards Sakura's bag. Naoko started to leap to the rescue, saw the look in Sakura's eyes, and opted to dive under the table instead.

"YOU PERVERT!" Sakura screamed as she high kicked the thief in the nose, breaking a few teeth while she was at it.

"No! I was - " the man was unconscious before he hit the ground.

Naoko figured she knew _exactly_ why people feared the Haruno clan.

"Wow," the bridgemaster said grudgingly as they left. "You really surprised me back there. Girls around here don't fight like that."

"They should! Something's seriously wrong here!" Sakura stated, still mad as a hornet.

Naoko said nothing, her face troubled as she looked around. People lined the streets. Skelatal figures, weak, tired, and thin, they were listless and silent as hungry eyes watched the travelers walk down the path. _They're so poor. It's a wonder they could afford a "C" mission at all I wonder how many of them gave up their food for a day or more to pay for it._

A young child ran down the path and caught ahold of Sakura's skirt. The ninja almost brained the kid, suspecting another attack, but stopped as soon as she realized who was there. Naoko looked at the frightened, hungry eyes of the boy as he summoned up his courage, put out his hands, and weakly said, "Please?"

Sakura's face softened as she rummaged in her bag. "Uhhh, here." She held out a handful of candy to the boy.

His eyes lit up as he took the special sweets. "Aw, thank you!" he said happily. Sakura smiled, her eyes filled with compassion.

Naoko quickly rummaged in her own side pouch and pulled out a couple rice balls she had stashed in case Naruto needed a snack. "Here," she said, finally removing the entire pouch and handing it to the boy.

"Oh, thank you! Mother and father will be so proud!" His face shone as he grinned at her and Sakura then turned and ran down the street, clutching his precious candy.

Sakura watched the kid leave, her face sad.

"This is how it's been since Gato came here," Tazuna told them. "The children suffer, and the adults are afraid to stand up to them." His voice was filled with anger at the injustice.

"They've lost all hope," he continued after waiting a moment to let it sink in. "That's why we have to finish the bridge. It will bring commerce and trade, and much more importantly that bridge is a symbol of courage. We must restore the spirit of our people. When the bridge is finished," Tazuna's eyes took on a faraway look as he imagined the future, "people will start to believe again." His fist clenched. "They'll believe they can live with dignity. We can't let Gato stop us!"

Naoko felt her own blood begin to boil within her veins. _He's right. And I won't let anyone stand in their way. Not Zabuza, not Gato, not anyone! I will be here for them, even if I have to leave Konoha! _She could feel her spinning sharingan piece apart again, then rebuild the world before it could shatter.

_Why does it do that? Is it some correlation, that it happens whenever I want to protect someone? No matter. I'm on a mission now and if I'm going to get it done I'm not going to start out by fainting!_

...

It was dark out when Sasuke and Naruto finally returned, both still unsuccessful in their chakra training and obviously very angry.

"Sasuke, what did you do?" Naoko asked him in a low voice as she grabbed a bowl and sat down next to him at the table.

"What do you mean, what did _I_ do?" Sasuke hissed. "Ask him what _he _did!"

Naoko rolled her eyes. "Oh, boy." _**And**__ the ball starts rolling again._

Tazuna laughed as he looked around. "Hey, this is fantastic. It's been ages since we had so many guests around our table."

_And by the time tonight is over, it will probably not be happening agian._ Naoko looked on in disguist as Naruto proceeded to shovel food into his face, then was horrified to see Sasuke spoon down mouthful after mouthful of his own soup, barely chewing, and then wolf down his bread like he hadn't eaten in weeks.

Both boys grabbed their bowls at once and, mouths full, shouted, "I want some more!" Then they glared daggers at eachother across the table. Naoko groaned and let her head drop to the table with a thunk. She had barely touched her own food, and Sakura wasn't even halfway finished yet. _You guys are such idiots! You even have to be competetive about eating?_ Naoko was tempted to elbow Sasuke in the ribs, but she really didn't want him throwing up and making a mess all over the table.

She didn't have to worry about it. Both boys turned around and promptly threw up.

Sakura stood up, eyes blazing. "Don't eat so much if you're going to throw it up," she shouted.

"I...have to eat," Sasuke said, wiping his mouth.

"And I have to eat more than him," Naruto responded, gritting his teeth. "It's the only possible way I'll get strong enough to beat him."

"That's true," Kakashi nodded, "But throwing up won't help any."

Naoko glared at the two boys. The hidden mist village was hard pressed for food as it was without her team making fools out of themselves.

Pushing the bench out of her way, she hoisted Sasuke up by his collar and stomped over to grab Naruto. "I'll be right back," she said cooly as she dragged her protesting teammates out the door.

Twenty minutes later Naoko returned.

"Well?" Kakashi asked.

"Well what?" Naoko asked as she helped clear the table.

"Where are Sasuke and Naruto?" Kakashi questioned, ever patient as always.

Naoko raised an eyebrow and continued clearing the table.

"Naoko..." Kakashi's voice held a warning to it.

Naoko shrugged. "Oh, they're just... hung up somewhere."

She grinned as she finished the table and started to help wash the dishes. Kakashi didn't realize exactly how good she had gotten at climbing trees.

...

**Shisui: "Now that's funny."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Ah, sweet revenge."**

**Nathaniel: "ATG does not own Naruto."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Or the Uchihas! Unfortunately it is so." (Sad face) "I don't own Deidara either."**

**Nathaniel: "Let's not get into that again."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Or Suisgetsu."**

**Nathaniel: "ATG - "**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Or Dan. Or Gaara. Or Kabu-"**

**Nathaniel: "ATG, knock it off!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Or Itachi, or Sasuke, or Neji, or Sasori, or..."**

**Nathaniel: "Oye, I give UP!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Or even Sai. I'm not sure why I'd want him, but I don't own the character."**

**Nathaniel: "You done?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Or the Senju clan, or Naruto's dad, or the cool guy with the spiky hair, or - "**

**Nathaniel: (Claps a hand over ATG's mouth) "Review please!"**


	12. Kimonos and Tree Climbing

**Ryuu: "And now for the return of Naoko and her ever growing hatred for healthy beverages."**

**Shisui: "I like tea."**

**Ryuu: "We're not talking about you."**

**Shisui: "I just thought I'd bring in my point."**

**Ryuu: "You want a 'point' then I've got a nice, shiny kunai knife right here."**

**Shisui: "Hey! You're not supposed to kill me! I'm patented by the manga artists!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Hey, both of you get off the script! I've got a show to roll!"**

**Nathaniel: (Hurriedly points out) "ATG does not own anything."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Roll film!"**

**...**

Naoko grinned - more like grimaced - at Kakashi the next morning as they sat around the table.

"Green tea, huh?" she asked between clenched teeth, still smiling painfully.

"It is considered _customary _and _polite_ to serve tea to your guests," Kakashi stated as he put down his own empty glass. Naoko understood the hint - drink the tea.

Naoko gave a sickly grin and activated her spinning sharingan, her hand shooting out to switch cups with Sasuke the minute he put his down. Sasuke looked down, surprised at his now full cup, then glared at Naoko. Naoko smiled innocently and calmly set 'her' empty cup on the table.

Naruto had kept clear of her the entire evening, ever since she had tied him and Sasuke up in a tree for pigging out at dinner. Of course, Kakashi had made her take them down immediately after he found out, but the bruises remained. Naoko leered at Naruto as he rubbed the his sore cheek and glared at her.

"Excuse me," Sakura's voice piped up, as she studied a frame on the wall. "This picture is torn. Is there some reason for that?" She looked behind her. "Inari, you kept glancing at it throughout dinner. It looks like there was someone else in the picture and they got torn out. I mean, that's kind of strange isn't it?"

There was a pause as everyone around the room stopped talking.

"It's my husband," the bridgebuilder's daughter said quietly.

_Oh, bright, Sakura! You really know how to bring up things in the best timing!_

"They used to call him a hero in this land," Tazuna said, looking down at the table.

"Inari, where are you going?" the Tsunami asked as Inari got up and ran out of the house. "Father, you can't talk like that in front of Inari, you know that!" she said angrily as she went out after her son.

An akward silence filled the room.

"Inari's so... I mean what happened to him?" Sakura asked blatantly.

_You know, the word __**tactful**__ has a meaning..._

"Hm," Kakashi spoke up. "Is there a story behind this?"

Naoko groaned and dropped her head to rest on her arms. _This is going to be just great! My sensei and my teammates have no sense of discretion whatsoever. I'm seriously going to consider joining kitchen duty when when this mission is done!_

"He wasn't his real father," Tazuna explained in a pained voice. "He came into our family later... and he brought so much happiness. He and Inari were very close." Tazuna paused. "In those days, Inari used to laugh all the time." His fist clenched as his voice choked with emotion. "But then..." He stopped a minute, tears running down his face.

"All that ended. He never laughs or smiles anymore. Ever since the day everything changed." Tazuna's voice took on a harsh tone, "The word courage was stolen from this island. We were left feeling powerless! Hopeless! And Inari suffered the most. Ever since that day, ever since IT happened."

"Tell us," Kakashi prodded gently. "What happened to Inari."

"First you need to know about the man, his father," Tazuna said. Tears began to streak down his face again. "The man who daughters the word 'courage.' He was the hero in this land."

"A hero, really?" Naruto asked, his boistrous tone subdued for once.

"You can decide that for yourself," Tazuna answered, putting his glasses back on. "He came here about three years ago..."

Naoko listened with raptured attention as Tazuna described how Inari's adoptive father, Kaiza, had rescued the boy from drowning, become a part of the family, and saved the village during a flood. The story ended sadly, however, when Kaiza was beaten by Gato's men and then executed in front of the entire village. Inari had been there at his father's death.

"Since then Inari has changed. So did Tsunami and all our people. We lost our will." Tazuna finished.

Naoko traced her finger on the wood grain of the table. _I can't believe someone would do such a thing as that! But isn't that what's been happening our entire lives? My clan and Sasuke's - they were both killed off for no reason but that someone decided to make a show of their power over people. _She slammed her fist onto the table, surprising her teammates. _I should have been there to - _Naoko stopped as her sharingan began to piece the world apart. _Stop it! Stop acting like you should have stopped events in the past. Like you have to save everyone from everything coming your way! You're going to get yourself killed and you're not going to be able to prevent everything so why are you giving yourself a hard time?_ She didn't know. But it was like some overpowering feeling of protection was niggling at her. Naoko didn't like it. She had felt this way when facing Zabuza, and she hated it when it happened and the circumstances were out of her control. _Like now._

Naoko was saved from her dark musings as Naruto stood up with a determined look in his eyes, stepped forward - and fell flat on his face.

"Uh!" the blond genin grunted.

"What are you doing down there, Naruto?" Sakura asked in a very good 'mother' imitation.

"You'd better take the day off," Kakashi said calmly. "No more training. You've used too much chakra. If you push any harder it could kill you."

Naruto pushed himself up on shaking hands. "I'm gonna prove it," he growled.

_Oh, great - now what?_

"Prove what?" Sakura asked doubtfully.

Naruto rose quakily to his fee.t "I'll prove - that it's true! That in this world there are real heroes!"

Naoko let her head thunk back onto the table. _We're doomed._

...

As the morning grew lighter and the rest of her team began to get up, Naoko figured she'd better go looking for Naruto. The kid had a habit of over stressing his chakra limits and she had a feeling she knew exactly where to find him.

_Between you trying to take on the world and me trying to take it apart, I think the ninja are pretty much surviving on sheer luck right now._

Naoko finished breakfast early and was out of the house by the time Sasuke got to the table. Of course, spinning sharingan helped with her speed as well.

Naoko smirked. Despite the fact that her spinning sharingan was considered a glitch, she found it more useful than her normal sharingan. She found her spinning sharingan made her faster, more agile, and it could piece apart gengetsu and chakra formations better than her stable sharingan could copy them.

Naoko's mouth twisted to the side as she walked through the forest. When she had run away after her mistake of not telling Kakashi Zabuza was alive, she had thought her life as a ninja was over. Surprisingly, Kakashi hadn't said a word since that incident, and it was as though the event had never occured.

Still... Oh, well. Naoko was determined that nothing of the sort would happen again. If there was a rogue ninja, dead or alive, she would report him _immediately_ to Kakashi!

"You'll catch cold if you sleep here. Wake up!" Naoko darted to the side and hid behind a tree as she heard a voice up the path. Peering around it, she was surprised to see a girl about her own age shaking Naruto by his collar.

The blond ninja woke up with a start and sat up. "Who are you?" he asked blearily. Then he woke up fully. "I mean, uh, uh... Hi, where did you come from? Y'know, what are you doing out here and all that." Naruto blushed fervently.

Naoko's spinning sharingan was trying to activate itself again, pressuring her brain as though in warning. _All right, all right. Sheesh - Kakashi never told me these things had personality!_ She carefully let it activate and waited for the layers of the world to formulate before peeking around the tree at the two kids sitting a ways from her.

_**No way!**_ That _kid _was back! The ANBU look alike. And he was talking to Naruto.

With his hair down.

Wearing a kimono.

And Naruto was buying it.

_Dude, this guy is sick! _Naoko wrinkled her nose in disguist. _A kimono! Does he have anything better to do with his life? This guy is just annoying! He's so annoying I'm just going to break his pretty little nose and...he's kinda cute though._ Her eyes widened and she slapped herself for allowing her idiotic hormones to take over for a second. _Dude! Guys are annoying and boyfriends get in the way! Remember that!_ No further convincing was needed though for the time being. She was very good at telling herself what to do. Naoko crouched down behind the tree and watched Naruto and the kid.

"I'm gathering herbs," the kid told Naruto.

"Herbs?" Naruto scoffed.

"Yes, that's right," the kid responded. "They're for treating illnesses and human wounds."

_This guy has got to be kidding. I don't __**believe **__Naruto is buying this whole thing! Stupid kimono!_

Naruto plucked a plant from the ground. "Hm. You start work early, huh, sis."

Naoko almost gagged behind the tree.

"I like it early," the kid answered. "It's calm, and I didn't think I'd find anyone sleeping out in the woods."

_Welcome to my world,_ Naoko raised an eyebrow as Naruto laughed at the kid's statement.

"I'm training!" Naruto spouted.

"Hm?" the kid looked kind of worried by Naruto's enthusiasm. "So are you a ninja?" he asked.

_No, he's a kitchen worker sent over to help out. Recognize the headband, dummy!_

"Because I noticed that headband you were wearing."

_Oops. _

The kid smirked slightly. "Or are you just making a fashion statement?"

Naoko slapped her forehead with her palm and allowed herself to fall backwards on the grass. She was hidden enough in the trees for them to not see her movements, though her spinning sharingan allowed her to zoom in on them when she felt it neccessary.

"You noticed that? All right!" Naruto shouted. "Only super cool ninja can wear these!"

_Kill me now._

"Oh really," the kid said politely. "I see. That's very impressive."

Naruto cackled.

"Well," the kid looked down at his basket of plants. "Does that mean you're training for something dangerous?"

"I'm just developing my skills so I can get stronger," Naruto beamed.

"You seem very strong now. Isn't that enough?"

_Don't flatter him - he's already got a big enough ego._

"No, no!" Naruto protested. "I need to get stronger and stronger, I have to keep practicing!"

The kid's eyes narrowed. "How so? Why is it so important?"

"So I can become the best ninja in my village!" Naruto punched a fist in the air. "Then everyone will know who I am and my whole village will respect me! There's also a certain person - a kid - who I have to prove something to!"

"So are you doing it for this certain person?" the kid asked. "Or are you doing all this training for yourself?"

"Huh?" confusion was written all over Naruto's face.

The kid giggled.

_He has humor. _Naoko's eyes narrowed. _I don't believe this._

"What are you laughing about?" Naruto demanded. "What's so funny?"

"Is there... someone who's precious to you?" the kid asked.

"Someone who - what are you sayin' sis?" Naruto asked in a dirisive tone. "What do you mean, _precious_?"

The kid looked down and didn't answer right away. "See," he finally said, "when a person has something precious that they want to protect, then they become genuinely strong."

"Yeah, I hear yah. I know exactly what you're saying," Naruto bragged.

The kid picked up his basket and stood up. "You will get strong," he said. "Very strong." He started to walk away. "Goodbye. We'll meet again, sometime." He paused. "Oh, by the way, I'm a boy."

Naoko couldn't help it as she collapsed into hysterical shrieks of laughter. Naruto started screaming and the kid dashed off.

_I have __**got**__ to tell Sakura about this!_

"Naoko what are you doing here!" Naruto started shouting at her. But she only laughed harder.

...

Sasuke looked most annoyed as he walked in on the scene. Naoko was still laughing, and Naruto was holding his head in utter humiliation.

"Oh, wow!" Naruto pouted. "I've seen a lot of wierd things in my life, but this takes the cake!"

Sasuke said nothing as he raised a fist and hit Naruto over the head.

"Ow! Hey, what did you do that for?"

"You twerp," Sasuke said as he crossed his arms, "Did you really just forget about breakfast? You're such a loser."

Naoko stopped laughing. _Dude! You guys just walked past Zabuza's little fiend, and all you can think about is food? Gagh! _

Then her eyes widened. _Wait - the kid! I promised myself I'd tell Kakashi sensei!_

She smiled again at Sasuke's frustrated growl when Naruto beganto laugh at his accusation. _Let's keep the competition friendly, boys._

Naoko quietly got up and slipped away. She had something to report to Kakashi sensei.

Naoko ran all the way back to the village, only to find that Kakashi and Sakura had left in search of the others.

_Aaaugh! Never backtrack, Naoko! It doesn't get you anywhere!_ Naoko added an extra stomp to each footfall as she ran back towards where she had seen Sasuke and Naruto last. Sadly Naoko's sense of direction was never perfect, nor was her ability to remember directions. She would have been completely lost if she hadn't heard Sakura calling out for Naruto up ahead.

_By the time this is over I will be begging the hokage to seal up my chakra and turn me loose on the world. I've __**had **__it with the ninja life!_ She was also a pretty rotten liar. Still, it felt good to consider a possible future without anything but simple, dreary life.

_Kill me now._

Naoko knew she could never live that way. Hearing Sakura's calls grow louder up ahead, she put on an extra burst of speed - when had it grown so easy? - and broke into the clearing up ahead. Sakura and Kakashi were startled as Naoko dashed in, but Sakura quickly let it slide as she scolded Naoko for disapearing.

Naoko rolled her eyes, then remembered why she had been in such a rush to find them. "Kakashi, there's something I've got to tell - "

"Knowing Naruto, he could be anywhere," Sakura interrupted in her annoyance. "And Sasuke hasn't come back either! I wonder where they are."

"Kaka - " Naoko began before a kunai streaked down towards them.

Naoko grabbed a throwing needle and flicked the kunai knife away, her sharingan spinning into affect without being told to. _You know, I'm really starting to like this sharingan instinct thing._

Naoko and the other two stared upwards into the tree to see Naruto slung over a branch cackling at their surprise.

"Naruto! Don't you have anything better than to scare me to death in the morning!" Naoko shouted at him.

"Whoah," Sakura breathed. "Naruto can climb that high now using his chakra? That's great!"

_Oh, yeah. She's got a point._

"What do you think? High enough for you guys?" Naruto bragged. "I mean, it's a long way down, huh?"

He jumped up so he was standing on the branch. Then he fumbled, slipped, and fell backwards!

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed.

"Uh-oh," Kakashi muttered.

Naoko rolled her eyes. So it was up to her to save the world again. She had just started to activate her sharingan (it had a nasty habit of turning itself off when she wanted it most) when Naruto swung around to stand upside down, his feet attached to the branch like iron to a magnet.

"Haha, just kidding!" Naruto grinned.

_You idiot._

"You guys really fell for it!" Naruto continued to cackle.

"We were worried about you, Naruto!" Sakura growled.

"Why do I think this is going to end badly," Kakashi said as he watched Naruto with some concern.

As if on cue Naruto's concentration slipped and his feet disconnected from the tree branch.

Kakashi and Sakura both gasped.

"You just had to push it, didn't you show off!" Sakura screamed.

Naoko was already running towards the tree. Someone else got there first.

Naoko stopped mid stride and her jaw dropped as Sasuke practically flew up another tree and leapt out to grab ahold of Naruto's ankle. The raven haired Uchiha ended with a perfect upside down landing on the branch Naruto had just vacated.

"Okaaay, that was cool," Naoko commented, craning her neck to look up at the two.

"You really are a total loser, Naruto," Sasuke said calmly.

Naoko giggled. This time she completely agreed with him.

"Daah!" Naruto shouted as he swung upside down by his ankle. "Sasuke!"

Sakura gave a high pitched squeal only produced by the most adamant of fangirls. "All right, Sasuke! You're the best!"

"If I'm still sane by the time they finish training, it will be a miracle," Kakashi said in the background.

With some help and a large helping of humble pie, Naruto managed to make it to the ground safely.

"Aw, I was gonna be just fine!" he complained, glaring at Sasuke.

"Yeah, as fine as the Hokage when he sat on the porcupine quills," Naoko said darkly as she glared at him.

"Well I - hey what happened to you eyes?" Naruto stopped talking and ran over to peer into her face, ducking as Naoko aimed a fist at his nose.

"You mean you didn't notice by now you idiot!" Naoko glared at the blond ninja as he continued to peer at her face from a (in his opinion) safer distance.

"No, I mean, I knew you had sharingan," Naruto explained, still staring, "But you only had one of those little black things before."

"I what?" Naoko put hand to her eye instinctively.

Sasuke walked over and took a close look. "He's right for once. Your sharingan is different." His voice sounded oddly restrained, and Naoko could practically taste his resentment.

Naoko growled in frustration and stomped her foot. "Can somebody give me a mirror please!"

Sakura, ever resourceful, quickly pulled a small looking glass out of her purse. "Here," she said as she handed it over and took a look for herself at Naoko's eyes.

"Aaugh!" Naoko practically shouted and examined herself in the mirror. Sure enough, two tomoes traveled swiftly along the black band surrounding the iris of each of her eyes. _When did that happen?_ Slowly the memory returned to Naoko of her mad dash through the forest after admitting to what happened with Zabuza. The extra emotion had placed a certain amount of pressure against her eyes...

"So when did this happen?" Kakashi asked as he bent down to see for himself.

"It must have happened when I ran off yesterday," Naoko said, sticking her tongue out at the mirror and making faces at her sharingan. "I didn't notice it until now."

"How can you not notice your own sharingan?" Sakura asked skeptically.

Naoko shrugged. Carefully she stabilized her sharingan, then turned them off. She switched them back to spinning and repeated the process several times before catching the difference; her stable sharingan had only one tomoe.

Naoko's brow furrowed as she studied her reflection. Slowly she activated her regular sharingan, then let them turn to spinning, then back to stable. Next she tried leaving one stable and one spinning. Each time the spinning sharingan had two tomoes, while the stable sharingan had only one. _Wierd._

"So, what's that mean?" Naruto asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"It means that I'm really fast but I can't copy chakra any better." Naoko was too annoyed to give more than a simple but not so clear answer.

"But what does that mean? Naoko!"

"It means I'm going back to the house to get some tea," Naoko snapped. "Stop bugging me!"

"Was there something you wanted to tell me, before Naruto managed to interrupt?" Kakashi's question reminded Naoko of _the kid_ she was trying to talk to Kakashi about earlier.

"Uh..." Naoko realized she had dug herself a deep hole. If she told Kakashi about the kid, she would have to admit she had done nothing to stop him. She hadn't gone for the sensei, warned Naruto, or even tried to tackle the kid herself. If she didn't tell Kakashi, there was no telling what Zabuza could do.

"Uh, it was nothing." Naoko flushed as she looked away. _You've really done it now. _She was beginning to wish she had never come at all.

…**..**

**Shisui: (in sing-song tone) "Angst!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "You know, you're beginning to get on my nerves a little." **

**Shisui: "It's still intentionally depressing."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I'm ATG. It's supposed to be sad. The only reason I write is to save the galaxy and kill off my characters."**

**Shisui: "That's... not cool. I feel like my life is threatened."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Don't worry, I don't feel like killing you yet. Maybe during the Great Ninja War, when readers have a chance to feel sorry for you."**

**Shisui: "MAYDAY, MAYDAY, Uchiha under attack!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Shisui - Nate, will you hit him over the head for me?"**

**Nathaniel: "Writer does not own anything."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Yeah, yeah, we know. Review!"**

**Shisui: "I'm gonna DIE!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "SHISUI!"**


	13. Zabuza's Attack

**Shisui: "Nothing but trees, trees, trees, trees - "**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Shisui, stop singing the tree song from "Hunt for Gollum."**

**Shisui: "I **_**like**_** that song."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I noticed. Now stop singing it before you become as annoying as my older sister."**

**Shisui: "Nobody sees, nobody sees, nothing but trees - "**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Itachi!"**

**Satoru: "What's going on?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Where's Itachi when I need him?"**

**Satoru: "Probably sulking in a corner. What do you want?"**

**Shisui: "Nothing but trees, trees, trees..."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Punch him for me."**

**Satoru: (Raises an eyebrow, then knocks Shisui through a wall.)**

**Shisui: (Squeaks from distance) "I don't think I deserved that."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Thank you."**

**Satoru: "Anytime."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I do not own Naruto."**

**Satoru: "Nor does she own the "Tree" song."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "You had to mention **_**that**_**."**

**Satoru: (Shrugs) "Mind if I give the opening quote?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Sure, why not."**

**Satoru: "Roll film!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Review!"**

**...**

Are you guys _still _climbing trees?" Naoko shouted up at Sasuke and Naruto.

It was now nightfall. Naoko had decided to follow the two to ensure they didn't kill themselves or eachother. She had been reading by flashlight for several hours and Sasuke and Naruto still hadn't quit.

"Let's go back," she finally heard Sasuke's voice waft down from... how high up were they?

"All right!" Naruto's cheer was loud to her ears even from some fifty feet below.

"Finally!" Naoko shot a dark glare up at the trees and stuffed her book into her bag. She continued to grumble under her breath as she waited for the others to come down. "All this fuss over a little competition. It's insane!"

"You guys can walk back by yourselves!" she shouted up at the trees. "I'm not lagging behind with you slowpokes!"

Naoko stuck around anyways, watching and commenting sarcastically as the two boys had to support eachother just to walk back to the village.

When they finally reached the village - a should be ten minute walk that took half an hour - Naoko calmly pulled the door open so the two boys could stumble in.

"What have you been up to," Tazuna asked gruffly. "You look like something the cat dragged in."

Naoko rolled her eyes as she followed them and shut the door behind her.

Naruto looked up and grinned. "We both made it. We climbed all the way to the top!"

"Whoopdy-doo," Naoko commented as she grabbed a plate of food.

"Good," Kakashi said. "Now we move on. Starting tommorrow you're both bodyguards for Tazuna.

"All right!" Naruto cheered as he fell backwards, dragging Sasuke with him.

"Ahhh," Sasuke started, then moaned "You are such a loser!"

The others laughed around the table and even Naoko spared a grin at Naruto's antics.

..

"In a few more days," Tazuna said after they had finished eating, "The bridge will be finished. I have you to thank for that."

"You've all done great, but you've still got to be careful," Tsunami warned.

Tazuna sighed. "I've been meaning to ask you this but I haven't had a chance until now. Why did you stay and protect me, even after you found out I lied to bring you here?"

_'Cause fighting ninjas beats kitchen duty._ Naoko took a sip of her tea and grimaced slightly. Green tea again. Sasuke had made sure she didn't switch cups with him this time.

"Those who stray from the path of justice have no courage," Kakashi answered, "But under the wing of a strong leader, cowardice can't survive."

_I hate metaphors._

"Huh?" Tsunami asked.

"That was a quote from the first hokage," Kakashi replied.

_Oh, great. More quotes from dead guys._ Naoko looked around the table and saw that Naruto had fallen asleep on the table. Inari was looking into the distance as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"But why?" he suddenly asked, waking Naruto.

"What'd you say?" the blond genin asked.

Inari slammed his hands on the table and stood up. "All this stupid training is just a waste of time!" he shouted. "Gato's got a whole army, they'll beat you down and destroy you! These cool things you all say - they don't mean anything! No matter what you do, the strong always win and the weak always lose!"

"That's not true, Inari," Naoko said softly. She put her head on her arms and thought back to when she had first come to Konoha. "When I was seven, my whole family was murdered by someone stronger than they were. I thought the same thing you did - that I didn't stand a chance in this world. Then one day I came across the dead body of a hawk in the streets. There was a little sparrow, still alive, clawing it's way out of the hawk's stomach." She sighed and looked Inari straight in the eye. "You see, the strong don't always win. If we keep fighting, kicking out at those who are trying to bring us down, we will win. It may nearly kill us, and it may mean the deaths of some of those around us, but if we keep fighting," she smiled. "We will win this battle."

Inari was silent for a moment.

"Just speak for yourself," Naruto broke in. "It won't be like that for me, you got that."

_Naruto, did you have to say that?_

"Why don't you just be quiet!" Inari began to shout again. "Just looking at you makes me sick! You don't know anything about this country! You're always laughing and playing around, you don't know what it's like to suffer and be treated like dirt!"

Naruto's face twinged.

_Or does he?_

"Listen to yourself, whining and complaining like some sorry little victim!" Naruto accused. "You can whimper all day for all I care. You're nothing but a coward!"

Inari cringed.

_Now that was mean!_

"Naruto! You went too far!" Sakura shouted.

Naruto growled in exasperation and left the room.

"Naruto," Sakura said more quietly.

Inari began to cry. Naoko quickly got up and put her arms around his shoulders, letting him sob his heart out. She didn't know what to say, so she just let him cry.

Later as Naoko helped clear the table, she saw Kakashi go out to the dock and speak with Inari. Naoko smiled. If anyone could put things to rights, it was her sensei.

...

"Ookay," Kakashi adressed Tsunami as they all stood on the dock the next morning. "I leave Naruto in your hands. He's pushed his body to the limit, overdoing it as usual. So, he may not be able to move today at all."

_Poor lady doesn't know what she's getting into._

"What about you, you're still recovering yourself," Tsunami pointed out.

"Why, do I look wobbly?" Kakashi teased. He laughed softly. "I'll be okay."

"Come on," the bridgemaster said gruffly. "Let's go."

Naoko grinned and waved back to Tsunami as they left. _Hmmm. Bodyguard. I always wanted to be one!_ She frowned. _I didn't do so well last time, though. Maybe I should stop trying to take on the bad guys alone._

..

"Hold on, what is this?" Tazuna yelled as they reached the bridge.

Naoko's eyes widened in horror. The bridgebuilder's men were scattered across the bridge, unconscious.

"What happened," Tazuna cried out. "Someone was here! Someone got to them!"

A mist began to roll in.

_Oh, no!_

"Sasuke, Sakura, Naoko!" Kakashi shouted. "Get ready!"

They formed a pentagon formation. Kunais were drawn and Naoko's spinning sharingan was activated. _They're here._

"I knew he was still alive," Kakashi said. "He just couldn't wait for round **two.**"

"Kakashi sensei," Sakura stated. "It's Zabuza, isn't it? This is his hidden mist jutsu!"

Naoko's eyes narrowed and she slowly deactivated one of her spinning sharingan and let it remain stable. _I'd better be prepared to copy whatever this guy's got._

"Sorry I kept you waiting, Kakashi," a familiar voice rasped. "I see you've still got those brats with you."

"That's it!" Naoko's threat didn't get any further as Sasuke grabbed her arm and swung her back into formation.

"Naoko! You can't lose it now!" he hissed.

Naoko flushed and lowered her kunai. _Just like last time. Will I never learn?_

"That one's still trembling," Zabuza's voice gloated. "Pitiful."

Naoko looked down and saw that Sasuke's hands were indeed shaking.

_Blast it all, by the time I get done with you you won't be able to pick on an earth worm! _She glared into the mist, feeling a distict urge to put a dent in a certain rogue ninja's headband.

And then they were in front of them _Seven _Zabuza's, all with swords drawn. Sasuke's eyes widened as one appeared in front of him, and then he smiled.

The Zabuza clone gave a start in some slight surprise at the genin's reaction.

"I'm trembling with... excitement," Sasuke said arrogantly.

_And I'm trembling with the urge to punch you in the nose if you don't get that tone out of your voice. _Naoko rolled her eyes. Now was not the best time to beat up her teammate.

"Go on, Sasuke," Kakashi encouraged.

How he did it Naoko didn't know, but suddenly all seven clones exploded into puddles of water.

_Wow. I didn't know he could do __**that.**_

"Ooh, so you could see they were water clones, huh?" Zabuza's voice taunted. "The brat's improving."

This time the real Zabuza stepped forward, followed by... the kid. "Looks like you've got a rival, Haku."

_So that's his name._

"So it seems," Haku answered with the serenity of a mountain view in the sunset.

"Well, well," Kakashi said calmly. "So I had it right. It was all an act."

"An act?" someone questioned.

"With a cute little mask," Kakashi stated.

"Huh?" Sakura shrieked.

"Big phony," Sasuke scoffed. "Huh!"

_And, that's a direct violation of How to Avoid Stupidity Lesson 5: Never insult your enemy. That is, unless your really want one of you to be smeared all over the wall by the time he stops trying to kill you._

"So that part about him trying to protect his ninja village was completely false!" Tazuna said.

"They looked pretty chummy to me," Kakashi confirmed. "I'd say they'd been pulling scams like that for a pretty long time."

"He's got some nerve facing us again after pulling that trick!" Sakura accused.

"And hiding behind a mask," Kakashi continued, his derisive tone evident. "Who does he think he's fooling?"

Sakura laughed. "Speak for yourself, sensei."

_Dude, this isn't helping you guys win a reputatation with these two. Still, How to Avoid Stupidity Lesson 7 - never show your enemy your fear._

"That's it," Sasuke stated. "I'm taking him out."

Sakura gasped.

"Who does he think he's fooling," Sasuke's face grew darker. "Hiding behind that mask like some sort of clown."

"Sasuke," Sakura squealed. "You're so cool!"

Naoko slapped her forehead. _This is humiliating._

Then Haku struck. Running out, the kid begain spinning wildly, creating a whirlwind.

Naoko's spinning sharingan zoomed in, allowing her to watch the kid a little slower, but even then it was like watching a normal person twirl around as fast as they could go.

Sasuke smiled and drew two kunai, holding them in front of him.

Naoko's first impulse was to stand next to him, but she held back. _This is your fight. I won't get in the way._

Haku's hand shot out, but Sasuke was just as fast. Kunai grated against throwing needle as both boys tried to gain the upper advantage.

"Sakura, cover Tazuna, and stay close to me," Kakashi ordered as Sasuke and Haku fenced with the short weapons. "Naoko, you too. Let Sasuke handle this."

Naoko watched in awe as Sasuke and Haku spun around and fought. _These guys are __**good!**_

"We want the bridgebuilder, not you," Haku said softly. "If you back down now, I won't have to kill you."

"Save it," Sasuke smiled.

"You're making a mistake," the kid warned. "You won't be able to keep up with my speed. I've gained two key advantages."

"Yeah?" Sasuke asked warily. "What are they?"

"First," Haku pointed out, "We're surrounded by water. Second, I've blocked one of your hands. Therefore, you only have one free hand to defend yourself." The kid raised a hand to his face and began creating a series of hand motions.

_He can do it with one hand!_

"Secret jutsu, a thousand needles of death," Haku said and stomped his foot on the ground.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted in concern as a the water surrounding them turned into thousands of ice needles.

Sasuke, for his own part, appeared calm as the needles sped towards him.

There was a twinge in her eye and Naoko's sharingan caught Sasuke's chakra concentrating at his feet, then he launched into the air, the needles missing him completely.

Haku resembled a large bunny rabbit as he leapt back to avoid the shuriken Sasuke began to throw down. Then Sasuke suddenly appeared behind him.

"You're not as fast as you think," he jabbed.

_Way to go, Sas._

"From this point on," Sasuke continued. "You'll be the one defending against my attacks."

_How to Avoid Stupidity Lesson 10. Never get cocky._

Sasuke did appear to be doing rather well though as his next series of attacks ended with him kicking Haku across the pavement. Haku landed at an astounded Zabuza's feet with a sickening thump.

"Thought you were quicker, huh?" Sasuke gloated. "Now what else are you wrong about?"

_That's it. As soon as we get done with this mission I'm getting that book of rules drilled into Sasuke's head._

"You made a big mistake insulting these ninja and calling them brats," Kakashi said. "That's just guarenteed to bring out Sasuke's attitude."

_Oh, he's got attitude all right. Arrogant, snide, never listens. The list goes on._

"He's the best young fighter of the Hidden Leaf Village," Kakashi continued. "And Sakura here is our sharpest mind."

Sakura squeaked out of nervous pride.

"And Naoko... ," Kakashi considered. "Let's just say you don't want to make her angry."

_Wow. Thanks, Sensei, you hand out such wonderful compliments._

"Last but not least, our number one, hyperactive, knuckle head ninja... is Naruto Uzamaki."

Zabuza laughed, a cold sound that sent a shudder down Naoko's spine. "Hm," he adressed the kid next to him. "Haku, if we keep going on like this, we'll be the victims instead of them. Get on it!"

"Right," Haku asnwered. Blue chakra flared around him like indigo flames.

_What is it?_

Naoko's stable sharingan soaked the pattern in. _Interesting. It's a complex chakra - I can't really replicate it. Maybe later on if I practice..._

"What's that?" Sasuke questioned, dropping into a ready position.

"I'm sorry it's come to this," Haku responded.

"The air," Naoko heard Sasuke mutter, "It's so cold."

Naoko's sharingan warned her before it happened. "Sasuke, look out!" she screamed as a pane of ice formed behind him. Her cry came too late.

"Secret jutsu!" Haku said as panes of ice surrounded Sasuke. "Crystal ice mirrors!"

Naoko watched in fascination as Haku stepped into one of the mirrors. It was as though the ice absorbed him, leaving only a reflection. The reflection quickly spread to the other mirrors, until there were ninjas surrounding Sasuke. Naoko's stable sharingan continued taking apart the jutsu and store the chakra data. This was not something that Naoko would be able to replicate all at once, but she definately wanted to look into it later.

Kakashi growled and started running towards the mirrors.

_Something's wrong - is this more than Sasuke can handle?_

Before he could reach them however, Zabuza appeared in front of him.

"If you enter this fight," the rogue ninja challenged, "You fight me."

His next words sent a cold wave down Naoko's spine. "You boy has no chance against that jutsu. He's finished.

Naoko's eyes widened as a handful of throwing needle appeared in the hand of each of the Haku reflections. They wizzed down, evoking cries of surprise and pain from Sasuke as they tore his clothing and skin.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi called as the needles rained down on the Uchiha.

Sasuke's kunai flew from his hand and landed blade first at Sakura's feet. He was hunched over now, trying to procect his head as the needles sliced across his body.

"Just try to help him, and I'll kill the other three in a heartbeat!" Zabuza threatened.

"I'm sorry," Sakura said softly to the bridgebuilder. "I can't stay with you. Forgive me."

"I understand," Tazuna answered. "Go now."

"Hey wait - !" Naoko's cry was unheeded as Sakura grabbed the kunai at her feet and ran forward. _No! This is insane! I can't be stuck her while my teammate's in danger! I hate feeling like I can't do anything to help!_

Sakura leaped in the air and threw the kunai knife towards the ice mirrors. "Take this!"

Haku's hand shot out and grabbed it. Sasuke had his hand out, hoping to have caught it first. He collapsed on the floor, his face and body bleeding from numerous cuts and shallow puncture wounds.

"He caught it!" Sakura cried.

Naoko growled, the animalistic sound turning into a full out yell. "Sakura get back over here!" she yelled. "Before Zabuza tries to kill you!" Her real reason for calling her teammate back though was obvious. It was her turn to take a part in the fight. Naoko quickly pulled off one glove - then stopped as a shuriken flew out. It hit Haku and knocked him from the mirror.

There was an explosion behind them. _Oh, no._

Haku stood up, a scratch across his mask. "Number one, hyperactive, knucklehead ninja."

"Naruto Uzamaki is here!" the blond genin announced as the smoke cleared away. "Believe it!"

_We're doomed._

_**...**_

**Naruko: (sings) "I ain't got no iphone!"**

**Shisui: "Dude, you're so gonda ged your dose punchd oud."**

**Naruko: "My heart is breaking thinkin' suicide..."**

**Shisui: "He's gonda ged id doo, righd?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Actually, I like that song. Perry Gripp wrote it."**

**Shisui: "Well dis jusd sdinks."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Shisui, stop trying to talk with a broken nose."**

**Shisui: "I can dalk if I wand do."**

**Satoru: "Seriously. Shut up."**

**Ryuu: "Can we just get to the credits? The tension is killing me!"**

**Naruko: "I ain't got no iphone!"**

**Ryuu: "Who let the blonde in?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Moving on! Review please!"**

**Satoru: "ATG does not own Naruto."**

**Shisui: "Can'd I have ad iphone?"**


	14. The Dangers of Absorption

**Shisui: "NOOOOO! Not the number-one-hyperactive-knuckle-headed-ninja! Oh, wait - that's me, right?"**

**Ryuu: "Nope, sorry. Looks like you got left out on this one."**

**Shisui: "I am so suing the company for this."**

**Nathaniel: "Legally speaking that's impossible. First, you're a fictional character, and I'm pretty sure everyone would freak out if you entered the courtroom."**

**Ryuu: (Grins) "They'd freak out even if he stayed right here."**

**Shisui: "You know, there's plenty of room for you on ATG's death list."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Too late. He's already written into the later manga."**

**Shisui: "Killjoy."**

**Nathaniel: "Hmph. Anyways, as I was saying, first off you're a fictional character. Secondly, you actually belong to the people who **_**invented**_** Naruto. Legally speaking, you cannot sue them."**

**Shisui: "Can't I at least send them a nasty email?"**

**Nathaniel: "No. That would be rude."**

**Shisui: "Phooey on it all."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Hey, that's my line!"**

**Nathaniel: "All right, moving on. ATG does not own the Naruto series."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "But she does like reviews."**

**Nathaniel: "Roll fil-" (Is cut off by Itachi's hand over his mouth)**

**A Tragic Galaxy: (Beams at Itachi) "Thanks, 'Tach. Roll film!"**

**Shisui: "You're really that obsessed with your opening line?"**

**A Tragifc Galaxy: (Hits Shisui over the head with a rolled up highlights magazine) "ROLL FILM!"**

**...**

Hah! Now that I'm here, everything will be okay!" Naruto shouted.

Naoko growled. "Sakura, stay here," she ordered as she grabbed a kunai. Letting both sharingan spin wildly, she dashed past Zabuza and flipped over the mirrors, landing out of sight, and hopefully out of mind. _Now, how to take this thing apart..._

"You know how in the stories the hero usually show up at the last minute and then wins the day?" Naruto continued yammering. "Well that's what I'm going to do right now!"

_Laugh it up, loudmouth. Maybe you can keep the kid distracted long enough for me to figure out this thing._ It was a complicated chakra sequence, and not being able to replicate it made it harder for Naoko to understand how to dissemble it. _Now if I just... _she cautiously lifted a finger to the ice structure.

"All right!" Naruto's shout broke into her concentration.

_Aaagh! Just one minute of silence would be __**so**__ helpful right now!_

"Shadow clone jutsu!"

"No!" Zabuza's voice called out as he threw a handful of shuriken towards the Uzamaki.

"Naruto, move!" Kakashi yelled.

Haku's hand suddenly shot out, several throwing needles towards Naruto. They clashed with the shuriken, stopping them before they could reach their target.

"What are you doing, are you crazy?" Sakura berated.

"This is a battle, not a talent show!" Kakashi shouted. "Don't let your opponent see your jutsu!"

_Argh, can't think!_ There was too much commotion; Naoko couldn't let her brain configure what her sharingan had analyzed.

"Aaah!" Naruto shouted as Kakashi continued to scold him in the background. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to rescue everybody!"

Naoko rolled her eyes and flipped her hair out of her face. _Leave it to me. That's my job._

"Haku, what are you doing?" Zabuza's voice spoke up.

"Zabuza," the kid answered. "This boy... let me fight him my own way. Please."

"Bring it on," Naruto challenged.

Zabuza humphed. "So you want me to leave this to you, is that it, Haku? As usual," he continued as Haku didn't answer, "you're too soft."

"Forgive me," Haku said.

"I'm warning you," Naruto said in fury. "One way or another I'm going to rip off that mask and take you apart!"

"Don't even think about it," Zabuza warned Kakashi as the sensei started to move. "You know the score, Kakashi. If you go after Haku, I go after the bridge builder."

Naoko saw Kakashi's eyes stray back to Tazuna, then look around with more concern as he appeared to notice Naoko had disappeared.

"Relax, Kakashi," Zabuza said in a cold voice. "Sit back and enjoy the show. Let's see how they do, one on one."

"That mask," Naruto said. "And that story! You were with Zabuza all along!"

Naoko ignored the blond genin's remarks as she returned to studying the ice structure. Sasuke caught sight of her and she winked and held a finger to her lips.

_Now... how to work this thing. I can't risk touching it, Kakashi said not to try and absorb chakra from expert ninjas. So what to do then? _Maybe... maybe if she just absorbed a little bit she could redirect the blast to explode the rest of the wall. Naoko wasn't sure it would work but it might be worth a shot.

"Some warrior accept defeat gracefully," Haku's voice broke in as he looked towards Sasuke. "They know when they beaten. Others do not. So be it. Let us finish our battle then, to the death!"

_Oh, snap._

"Hey, where are you going?" Naruto shouted.

"It's all right, Naruto," Haku said. "We'll have our fight next."

_He's going to kill Sasuke!_

"I'm behind you," Haku told a shaken Sasuke as he appeared in front of Naoko. She ducked and rolled away, still hoping to escape the kid's notice.

_Blast! I'm going to have to break in,_ Naoko considered as she watched the mirrors fill with images of Haku. Needles flew everywhere again, throwing Sasuke to the side.

"Going somewhere?"

Naoko shrieked as Zabuza appeared behind her. _Not another clone! _

She somersaulted backwards as Zabuza's sword whistled towards her. Vaguely her brain caught Kakashi's statement about needing to attack from the outside and inside of the mirrors, but Naoko was too busy trying to stay alive to take much notice.

"You're a shinobi! Think before you move," she heard Sasuke yell at someone as she flipped over Zabuza's head.

His hand lashed out, catching her in the waist and throwing her into one of the bridge supports.

"All right, that's it!" Naoko shouted, finally catching a breather. Hurriedly she went through a series of hand signals - Haku's work.

Zabuza's clone started as a host of tiny ice needles sped towards him. He ducked out of the way... and right into Naoko's waiting fist. The clone collapsed in a pool of water.

"Naruto where - " Naoko stopped as she realized where the blond had run off to. He was _in_ the ice structure? Great, now she had two teammates to rescue! Her eyes widened though as she saw Sasuke make a familiar hand signal. _Not good._ Naoko leaped back in time to avoid the scorching heat as Sasuke's fire jutsu blazed across the mirrors. The mirrors themselves were untouched.

"THAT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING AT ALL!" Naruto shouted as he jumped up.

"You'll need much more heat than that to melt this ice," Haku said as he drew his needles. Naoko ran forward as the attack began anew, but slipped on the water covering the bridge.

_Blast it all, can't you do anything better than trip on your own feet!_ she berated herself as the back of her head hit the stonework with a sharp crack.

"Where is he?" Naruto demanded. "Where is the needle attack coming at us from? Are they clones?"

Naoko stopped to listen, curious herself.

"We've got to find the real one," Naruto told Sasuke. "Which one is it?"

"Look into every mirror as hard as you like," Haku answered. "You will never learn the secret."

"Oh, yeah?" Naruto shouted, "Shadow clone jutsu!"

"No, don't!" Sasuke warned.

Naoko watched in fascination as Naruto's many clones launched themselves at the mirror. Her sharingan picked up Haku, dashing from mirror to mirror as the clones attacked in seemingly slow motion. _So that's how he does it..._

Her eye caught Sasuke's, and they both knew it was time. Giving a rebel yell, Sasuke grabbed a kunai and launched himself at one of the mirrors while Naoko came at it from the other side. The glass cracked, then Sasuke was pushed back as Haku's attack began anew.

_Blast, we were so close!_

"These mirrors only reflect my image," Haku said as the last of Naruto's clones fell, "allowing me to transport myself at light speed. Through my eyes, you appear to be moving in slow motion."

_And yet he's fast for even my sharingan! This kid is something else._

"I couldn't break through," Naruto admitted. "So what! He's not going to stop me! I'm not giving up and I'm not gonna lose here!"

Naoko didn't wait for him to say more. She tore off her gloves and plunged a fist into the mirror next to her. A scream filled her world as energy tore into her, overwhelming her senses. She felt herself falling, and as she threw out a hand it landed on another ice mirror. Both mirrors melted into her palms, sending shooting daggers through her entire body, enveloping it in pain. Naoko only realized as she fell to the ground that the scream had been her own. Then blackness fell.

...

"Naoko, wake up!" Sasuke's yell slowly broke into her haze of pain.

Shouts and cries of pain followed after, and Naoko's eyes blearily peered at the mirrors as needles flashed across her line of vision.

"Hurts," she mumbled as she pushed her hands away from her body, trying to escape the agony.

"NAOKO! LET IT OUT! EXPEND IT!" Kakashi's shouts carried across the bridge, and Naoko curled up into a ball.

_Let it out... Gotta... do it... quick!_ Naoko painfully pressed her palms onto the bridge and shot the extra chakra into it. The bridge exploded underneath her, falling apart just short of the ice mirrors and dropping her into the icy river below!

Naoko hit the frigid water with a hard splash. Her mind numbed in shock for a moment, then the icy fingers grasping at her consciousness brought her back to full awareness. Kicking out wildly, Naoko struck for the shore opposite the finished side of the bridge. _Can't go back to Kakashi. Zabuza will never let me get near Haku again._

Naoko swam over to one of the bridge supports and began the long exhausting task of pulling herself back up onto the structure. Her teeth were chattering as she continued pushing herself past her chakra endurance. _This is insane! You're getting to be as bad as Naruto, you know that? _Her sharingan kept pressing her, urging her to hurry.

She finally hauled herself to the top, weak from the exertion and ready to collapse. Quickly Naoko scanned the mirrors. The two mirrors she had absorbed had been replaced, albeit they were badly repaired. Naoko's gaze flitted to her teammates. _They're still standing._ She breathed a sigh of relief and fell onto the pavement. _I overdid it._

"Naruto, can you do it again," she heard Sasuke ask.

"Huh, of course! Nothing can stop me again, believe it!"

The mirrors lit up again as Haku prepared to attack.

"Naruto, run for it!" Sasuke ordered. "Get out of here and attack from the outside! Hurry!"

"Uh, all right, you got it!" the blond genin answered.

"You cannot escape," Haku insisted.

Naruto kept running. "You can't keep me here!"

A blast of light threw him back, but the genin got up and ran again. This time Sasuke was ready.

Naoko watched through the fog in her brain as Sasuke's fireball jutsu streaked towards Haku as he charged at Naruto. Haku evaded it once again, this time spearing a needle into Sasuke's shoulder and once again throwing Naruto into the center again.

"I couldn't get past him," Naruto growled.

"That was good, Naruto," Sasuke grunted. "One more time?"

"Yeah, let's do it!" Naruto answered.

This time they both charged at opposite ends of the mirrors.

"This time you'll stay down!" Haku stated as he threw a needle that pierced just below Sasuke's knee.

"Naruto! Sasuke!" Naoko pushed herself up as this time the needles punctured deeply into the two boys. Her arms collapsed underneath her though. _That chakra absorption blast did more to me than I thought. _Naoko struggled to get her feet under her, failing yet again. Then she heard a scream. _Sakura!_ There it was again! That helpless feeling that occurred whenever she was torn between two sides. _Blast it all, I hate it when it does that!_

Sasuke. She saw him kneeling on the ground while Naruto was lying on the floor, presumably out cold. No, Sasuke and Naruto came first. Sakura had Kakashi to help her, but they were alone. If she had any strength left, Naoko would use it to help them.

Naruto meanwhile, was struggling to get up. "I'll bust us out of here," he said in a weak voice. He smiled. "I'll fake 'em out."

"You've exhausted my patience," Haku said coldly.

Naruto began running at the ice walls, then flipped backwards and charged from another direction. Naoko watched in intermingled fascination and horror as Haku followed the genin with ease.

"Naruto, behind you!" Sasuke shouted a warning. He was too late, and with a cry Naruto fell backwards, another handful of needles piercing his chest.

"Your chance of escaping my house of mirrors... is zero," Haku said. "That is absolute."

Sasuke ran to Naruto's side. "Naruto, are you able to get up?"

The blond genin grunted.

"Try not to use any more chakra," Sasuke cautioned. "That's only going to help him now."

"I know, Sasuke, I know!" Naruto answered. Then he was out cold.

"Looking for a counter attack?" Haku questioned as Sasuke stood. "I'll save you the trouble." He attacked again.

Naoko shouted, then watched in amazement as Sasuke grabbed a needle from the ground and blocked all the coming missiles before falling to one knee.

"Get up, loser!" he berated Naruto. "We've gotta team up!"

Naruto sat up. "I know what we have to do. Believe it, Sasuke!"

Another barrage of needles came at them. Naoko stared, sharingan whirling, as Sasuke blocked all of them and neatly shoved Naruto to the side to miss yet another attack. He was slowing down though, as the needles punctured into his body hampered his movements.

Naoko hauled herself up and stumbled towards the ice structure.

Then, Haku disappeared.

"Where did he go? How could he just vanish?" Sasuke looked around wildly. "Naruto, you'd better not pass out again! Come on, let's go! I can't keep protecting you like this!"

"Well, then don't!" Naruto answered. "I never asked for your help!" He promptly passed out.

"You can't revive him," Haku's voice spoke up as Sasuke spun around. "He's reached his limits." He laughed as Sasuke looked up to find him in the top mirror.

Sasuke tossed a throwing needle at the kid but it was easily blocked. Naoko meanwhile knelt outside the glass walls, breathing heavily. _I should be able to just sneak in..._

"You have excellent moves," Haku continued as he moved from mirror to mirror. "Your attacks are very skillful." He threw out another handful of needles, which Sasuke dodged with some difficulty. "But you've reached your limits as well." Sasuke's eyes widened as he tried to keep up with Haku's constant change in position. "Motor functions, reflexes, judgment, your abilities are weakening slowly but surely. Now, you are finished!"

Naoko ran forward, then stopped. Sasuke shot out of the way, almost faster than her sharingan could track. _It can't be..._

Not caring anymore about who saw her, Naoko ran around the structure and looked into Sasuke's face.

Sharingan eyes blazed red as Sasuke put Naruto down. Naoko's own sharingan locked onto them, noting two tomoes in the left eye and one in the right.

_He's got sharingan! YES!_ Naoko felt her heart swell with pride. Finally, he had awakened his bloodline jutsu. Now he was truly an Uchiha.

Suddenly Haku's gaze shifted, and he left the mirror, speeding towards Naruto.

Naoko gasped. There was only one reason he would do that... Naoko leaped forward, barreling her shoulder into the glass wall. One of the panels shattered under her weight and she stumbled in. "Sasuke, look out!" she cried as she threw a kunai knife. But she had pushed herself too far already, and her body couldn't keep up with her Sharingan's speed.

Haku was faster.

...

Naoko groaned as she pushed Haku off of her. Her eyes widened as she remembered. Haku had just been streaking towards Naruto. She had thrown a kunai at him, but due to her exhaustion her aim was off. Sasuke had suddenly appeared between Haku and Naruto, and as the kid got closer Sasuke grabbed him and swung him into the glass wall - unfortunately Sasuke hadn't seen Naoko standing right there.

Naoko growled as she pushed her glasses up. _I seem to be spending a lot of time picking myself up this particular mission._

Then her heart stopped. Sasuke was standing a few feet away from Naruto, his chest heaving and blood running down his chin. Several throwing darts were buried deep in his neck and stomach.

"You always... get in the way... Naruto," Sasuke grunted as Naruto started to sit up. "It.. never fails."

"Dah! You beat him Sasuke!" Naruto shouted happily. Then he got a look at Sasuke's face.

Naoko ran forward slightly, but something held her back.

"You... should see the look on your face," Sasuke addressed Naruto, not noticing Naoko in the background. "Y.. you look... like a total... loser."

"W - Why did you... save me?" Naruto sat up, shock written all over his features. "Why did you do it?"

"I don't know why," Sasuke answered. His back arched as the pain washed through him. "I... I just did."

He stared at nothing for a minute. "You...," he finally stammered, "I... hated you."

"Then why?" Naruto stood up. "It doesn't make any sense! Why did you - protect me?" He growled and his hand closed into a fist. "I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask for you to save me!"

"I don't know," Sasuke said weakly. "My body..just moved. There was..no time to think." He started to fall backwards with a cry. "Loser..."

Naoko ran forward now as Naruto caught Sasuke. She sat by helplessly as she watched her friend.

_No! No, he can't die! Not Sasuke! Who will I have left if I lose him too? _Tears filled Naoko's eyes as she choked them back. _He doesn't even notice I'm here..._

"Hey... he's s-still out there..." Sasuke stammered. "My..brother. I promised myself... I'd stay alive... until... I.. k-killed him." He held a shaking hand up towards Naruto. "Naruto don't let... your dream die." His hand dropped, then his eyes closed and he fell back against Naruto.

Tears flowed freely down Naoko's face as she took Sasuke out of Naruto's arms and held him against her heart. _H-he was... you were my only friend... _

She quietly sobbed as she held him tight. _I should have been there to protect you. _Haku's words to Naruto came back, haunting her. _"Is there someone precious to you? ... When a person has something precious that they want to protect, then they become genuinely strong." _Another sob shook through her. "I'm sorry, Sasuke," she said in a choked whisper. "I wasn't strong enough."

Through her haze of tears she saw Haku stand up. "Is this the first time you have seen a friend die in battle? This is part of what it means to be a ninja." He melted back into the ice mirror behind him.

"Shut up," Naruto hissed. His eyes lingered on Sasuke. "I... I hated you too, Sasuke. And yet..."

Naoko drew back as a wreath of smoke began to surround the blond genin.

"You'll pay for this," Naruto spat.

Naoko's eyes widened as her sharingan activated itself, warning her. Suddenly it practically screamed at her, rotating wildly as instinct commanded her to run away! She drew back, dragging Sasuke along with her.

An orange swirl surrounded Naruto. It spiraled into the air, orange flames spurting out into the area. Naoko shrieked and pulled Sasuke back to the edge of the mirrors. _What is it!_

Naruto's head lifted, his eyes blood red and animalistic. Naoko's sharingan continued to scream against her, awaking her muscles to flee. She felt the anger from Naruto's chakra. Hatred. Bloodlust. And it was aimed at her and Sasuke.

Naoko screamed and ran back, her panic giving her the burst of adrenaline needed to shatter one of the mirrors and escape the prison. Haku's attention was focused on Naruto, and Naoko had only one instinct ruling her actions - she had to get away!

The orange chakra took a form, and Naoko knew the reason for her fear. Staring at her was an orange fox. She saw Naruto change under its shadow, his hands growing larger and dark streaks appearing on his face. Memories of the tales of a nine tailed fox popped into her head. The Urutymayas feared it... loathed it... and the most adamant warning from her parents had been this. The nine tailed fox held a special hatred reserved just for them.

The fox held its glare on her. Searching. Knowing. Hate-filled. It threw back its head as though to crush her, but its power was redirected as Naruto threw himself at Haku. He missed the first time, and Haku threw a handful of needles into his back. Naoko watched in terror as Naruto merely sent out another burst of chakra, the needles flying from his back and clattering against the mirrors. Naruto leapt out, crashing a fist through the mirror Haku was in. Haku barely escaped, then dropped, holding a kunai out towards Naruto's exposed back.

Naruto dodged, faster than any normal shinobi. He literally twirled through the air before landing in a crouch, eyes glazed over with an animalistic desire to kill. Then he grabbed Haku's wrist and swung his fist into the boy's mask. Haku flew through his own mirror, shattering it. He hit the ground hard, rolling over a few times before coming to a stop. The mask cracked into two pieces, and the mirror structure shattered to the ground.

Naoko watched in horror as Naruto ran towards Haku, who had stood to his feet. The boy didn't even try to defend himself as Naruto's fist came speeding towards him. Then, Naruto stopped, the rage abated for the moment.

"So, that guy in the woods? That was you?" he asked, recognizing Haku for the first time.

"Why do you not strike?" Haku asked. "Did you not just vow to your comrade's death to kill me? Or were those just empty words?"

Naruto yelled a few times, torn between his feelings, then gave Haku a good sock in the nose.

Haku fell back to the ground. He carefully struggled to his knees. "No, that didn't do," he said. "You're still holding back. If that is all the strength you can put into it you will never keep your vow. Perhaps he didn't mean as much to you as you pretend."

Naoko's blood boiled at the words, but the pain in her heart overwhelmed it. _I - I can't go fight him and leave Sasuke alone... out here... he needs me... _She knew her grasp on reality was unraveling, but her brain didn't want to recognize it.

Haku stood back up again. "To show mercy to those who oppose the one you serve, to allow his enemies to live when you could strike them down, this is not compassion. It is a betrayal of your life's very purpose. For what reason do you exist then? You are of use to no one. Your life has no meaning. It is merely existence, day after day of pain and struggle, signifying nothing."

"Yeah, well speak for yourself!" Naruto shot back.

"Are you really that blind, little one?" Haku asked. "I am speaking of myself. This day has shown that I am no longer of any use to Zabuza."

"Zabuza? Why that guy anyway?" Naruto challenged. "To devote your life to a rotten skunk who doesn't know the meaning of the word honor! If he's really the one person who really matters to you, man that's the sorriest thing I've ever heard!"

"There were once others who mattered to me," Haku said. "Long ago." He told of how once his parents had been very important to him, how the three of them had once been very happy despite how poor they were. Then, after a civil war, the kenkei genkai, blood trait inherited jutsu, was hated by all. It was in his mother's blood, though she hid it for years. Then, one day, Haku's father discovered it. He murdered his wife and almost killed Haku. It was Zabuza that found the child, and gave him purpose in life again. Haku became his instrument of destruction.

"I have failed you, Zabuza," Haku finished. "I am like a weapon that has been broken and is of no further use." He walked over to Naruto. "Naruto... kill me."

Naruto stood there, wavering between two decisions.

"Strike! Kill me!" Haku pleaded. "Why do you hesitate?"

Naruto growled and stepped back several paces. "That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard! I mean, he treats you like a slave! You're a human being, not a weapon or a tool. How can you care about someone like that?"

"For that very reason," Haku answered. "Does that... seem so strange to you?"

"Well yeah," Naruto admitted. "A little."

"When he found me, I was without a purpose or reason for living," Haku explained in a sorrowful tone. "Zabuza gave me both. But now, my usefulness is over. The only thing that gave my life meaning... it's gone. I am a broken tool, a blunted weapon, of no use to anyone. Go on, Naruto, do it! For both of our sakes! Do it. Quickly!"

Still Naruto hesitated.

"I thought you wanted to be a mighty warrior," Haku taunted.

"That's not what it's about!" Naruto defended himself. "Do you really believe that's all there is to it, just fighting and killing each other till there's only one man left standing? There's a lot more to being shinobi than that! And there are other ways of showing your strength than beating someone in battle!"

"I've had a feeling about you all along," Haku said with wonder in his voice. "From the first moment we met in the woods. We are a lot alike. I'm sure you know what I mean. I am only sorry that it is your hand that must be tainted with my unworthy blood."

"Sure about this?" Naruto questioned. "And you're positive that it's the only way?"

"Yes."

Naruto closed his eyes. "The weird thing is, if we met in another time and another place, I think that maybe we could have been friends."

Then his face darkened and he grabbed a kunai. Naoko watched as he ran towards Haku as though in slow motion.

_No..._

"This is for Sasuke!" Naruto shouted. "Because he also had a dream!"

"Naruto, no!"

Suddenly Haku put a hand out, stopping Naruto's blade. "Sorry, Naruto, change of plan," the kid said. He created a series of hand motions. "I'm not ready to die just yet." Then he disappeared.

_Oh, no you don't!_ Naoko's spinning sharingan immediately zoomed in on Haku's move. She dropped Sasuke's body to the pavement and ran. She could see Haku as though in slow motion up ahead. He was moving fast, trying to get between Kakashi and Zabuza...

_Not now, brat! Not now that you've taken away the last thing that was precious to me! Not now that you've left me to be the last of the bloodline of the Uchiha clan! _Her anger had finally overcame her shock, breaking her out of her mourning.

Kakashi was racing towards Zabuza, a strange lightning chakra crackling in his hand. Zabuza was held back by a number of dogs, and couldn't move to defend himself.

Haku formed his ice mirrors, appearing in front of Zabuza. Kakashi's hand shot forward. This time, Naoko's speed didn't fail her.

She leapt forward, catching Haku around the waist and pulling him down. The two rolled over and over before slamming against the bridge railing.

Then Kakashi's lightning chakra slammed into Zabuza.

Haku screamed and started forward, but Naoko grabbed his wrist, pulling him back and unintentionally absorbing the last of his chakra.

The last thing she heard was Kakashi shouting her name. Then the world faded around her.

...

Naoko came to slowly, letting her eyes scan across the room. She started slightly in shock when Sasuke's blurry form came into focus.

"What? But you - " she sighed. "I knew it. Kakashi said I'd kill myself absorbing chakra some day."

Sasuke gave his half sneer of a grin. "You're not dead," he teased gently.

Naoko sat up. "But you - I mean you - and then he - and then... what?" Her eyes narrowed and she slouched into a sulking position. "So this whole time you weren't dead after all?" She waved a hand. "Never mind, don't answer that! I know, pressure points and throwing needles, way to get on my bad side!" Naoko scrambled up and promptly fell back down again as her muscles turned to jelly.

Sasuke smiled. "You'd better lie back down. Kakashi said you used too much chakra. You won't be moving around for a while."

Naoko growled and socked Sasuke's cheek then elbowed him hard in the ribs. "That was for scaring me to death and then telling me what to do!" she shouted as she scrambled back up. "I just - I can't believe that you just - AAAUGH! Just - DON'T TALK TO ME!" Naoko stumbled and nearly fell several times as she stalked to the door and stomped to the table.

"I don't want to talk about it!" she shouted at Naruto's questioning look.

"You know, you really should be in bed right now," Kakashi said calmly.

Naoko growled and flipped a kunai towards the sensei where it embedded itself in the table in front of him. "How long was I unconscious? And how long has _he_ been actually alive?" she jabbed a thumb back at Sasuke.

"You've been unconscious for two days now," Kakashi answered in his same serenely bored tone. "As for Sasuke, he woke up soon after the villagers chased out Gato."

Naoko gave him a dark glare. "Explain," she said dangerously.

With a sigh Kakashi told how Inari had gathered the villagers together and how they had run Gato out of town, as well as how he had used his own version of shadow clone jutsu to scare off Gato's men.

"And I missed all that?" Naoko asked. "I would have loved to see multiple Kakashi's yammering at once! I would have died from laughter, but it would've been fun!"

Sasuke came out of the room and sat down next to Naoko. She quickly aimed a slap at his head but he stopped it, his own sharingan making him almost as fast as she was.

"Oh, fine!" she grumped. "I won't kill you this time." She stirred her tea - jasmine this time - and considered. "So what happened to Haku?"

"Haku will be returning to Konoha with us," Kakashi answered slowly. "He will be kept in prison until the hokage decides what to do with him."

Naoko looked down, understanding the importance of the action but still feeling a pang. She had done this to the kid. He would have died, yes, but at least it would have been protecting the one he cared about most. Maybe she should have left him. Or maybe he would become another survivor, like her. _You never know what happens with the little actions you take in life._

...

"We could never have finished the bridge without you," Tazuna told the squad later as they prepared to leave several days later. "I can't tell you how much we're going to miss you."

"Do be careful," Tsunami warned.

"Thank you, for everything," Kakashi said. Haku was kept at the sensei's side, his hands tied behind his back and eyes downcast.

"Now, now," Naruto piped up, addressing Inari. "Don't get all choked up! We'll come back and visit real soon!"

_Oh, horrors._

Inari's chin trembled. "You swear you will?" he asked in a quavering voice.

"Of course," Naruto said, equally choked up. "You know, Inari, it's okay to cry if you want. There's nothing wrong with that. Go for it!" He sounded ready to burst into tears of his own at any moment.

"Who says I'm gonna cry?" Inari shot back, letting his dignity overrule his emotions. "Anyways, if there's nothing wrong with it, then why don't you go on and cry?"

"Ah, you first," Naruto said, barely holding his cool. The two boys stared at each other for a few seconds before Naruto sobbed, "forget it," and turned around before crying his eyes out. Inari joined immediately afterwards.

_Oh, brilliant._

"We'll call it... The Great Naruto Bridge," Naoko heard Tazuna say faintly behind them as they walked away. _You have __**got**__ to be kidding me!_

Naruto laughed. "As soon as we get back, I'm gonna let Iruka Sensei fix me up a whole bunch of ramen to celebrate a mission accomplished!"

_Poor Iruka Sensei._

"Oh, and just wait till I tell Konohamaru about my adventures!" Naruto continued to brag.

"Hey," Sakura called out.

"Yeah?" Naruto asked.

"Not you Naruto," Sakura pushed him out of the way, "Sasuke, when we get back do you want to go out and do something together?"

"I don't think so, thanks," Sasuke said, impeccably polite in his annoyed way.

Naoko grinned. _Yep, things are back to normal._

"Oh, okay," Sakura said with disappointment.

"Sakura, I'd do something with you if you want," Naruto suggested hopefully.

"What!" Sakura grabbed Naruto by his collar. "Hey, that was a private conversation!" she proceeded to throw the blond off the bridge.

_Oh, yeah. Things are just working out great!_

...

**Shisui: (Peers over A Tragic Galaxy's shoulder at the computer screen) "Y'know, isn't Naoko a little...emotional?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Stop criticizing my characters - you're the one who sends badly spelled text messages all the time!"**

**Shisui: "It's an art! You can't just mispell stuff - you have to practice."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "No one has to practice being an idiot."**

**Shisui: "All right, that's it - !" (grabs Nathaniel's coffee cup and aims it at A Tragic Galaxy's head)**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "You can't threaten me! I'm the author!"**

**Shisui: (pauses) "What's that got to do with it?"**

**Nathaniel: (stirs a mug of tea and inspects his writing pad) "That means she can kill you in the next chapter."**

**Shisui: "You can't kill me, I'm the main character!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Ooh, look - Itachi returns fourteen chapters early!"**

**Shisui: "Aaaaaaaah!" (Runs outside screaming)**

**Nathaniel: "You owe me for that one."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Yeah, whatev. Review please!"**


	15. Survival of the Clan

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Sorry this has taken so long. It was a long chapter to begin with but then my computer did something funny and turned half the text into code so I had to start all over again, plus repair the text that survived because the italics and indentations got turned into code too. So anyways, here's the next chapter."**

**Nathaniel: "You know, for all that you're a grammar police, you have a nasty habit of using run-ons when you feel like it."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Aaauurgh! Do you mind?"**

**Shisui: "Hey, Nathaniel, mind toning down on the criticism? We're trying **_**not**_** to influence A Tragic Galaxy's writing."**

**Nathaniel: "Meaning...?"**

**Ryuu: "Meaning if you ruin things and we get left out of the story it's you who will be experiencing the whole definition of an Uchiha's rage."**

**Nathaniel: "I'm the reporter. I'm not even from the Naruto world, so that means you can't do anything to me."**

**Ryuu: "Ever had your coffee spiked with cyanide?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Okay, guys, knock it off! Ryuu, there's no worry about you guys getting left out of the story."**

**Shisui: "Phew!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Now as for me continuing the story, that's a different matter..."**

**Shisui and Ryuu: "No, no, no, no!"**

**Ryuu: (shoves Shisui aside) "Hey, readers! Please, please, PLEASE review before she discontinues the story!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Relax, it's not dependent on the reviewers right now."**

**Shisui: "You're going to leave us out! We'll be lost in the sands of time - FOREVER!" (Sighs dramatically and falls back into a chair)**

**A Tragic Galaxy and Nathaniel glare at Shisui.**

**Shisui: "What?"**

**Nathaniel: "You are such an idiot."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Moving on. I get a little tired of doing **_**everything **_**from Naoko's point of view, but I don't want to ruin the Naruto characters' personalities by integrating thoughts into their heads. So I will be adding a couple extra characters in the upcoming chapters to give me a break in some of the scenes."**

**Shisui: "I'm one of those characters, right?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Ummm, no, actually you're not."**

**Shisui: (Stares blankly for a minute) "WHAAAAAT?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Hey, I have to fit them in as they come along! You'll appear later!"**

**Shisui: "But I'm the main character! I'm the reason for this entire story!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Um, actually, you're just the guy with the funny hairdo. 'Sides, this **_**was**_** written with Sasuke in mind."**

**Shisui: "WHAT? How did **_**he**_** get in there!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: (gives a fan girl shriek) "Sasuke, we love you!"**

**Shisui: "Mayday, mayday, writer on caffeine!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I haven't had coffee! Oh, and I just got my first Sasuke action figure, and he's so COOL! Why did he have to become the bad guy?"**

**Nathaniel: "Not good. Hey, somebody roll the tape before she starts trying to knock someone out of the story!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I HATE Danzo!"**

**Nathaniel: "Roll film!"**

**...**

Naoko was never a morning person if she didn't choose to be, and having her beautiful silence interrupted by a yellow screaming tycoon slamming into her was not the preferred wakeup call.

"NARUTO! WOULD YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING FOR ONCE!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Naruto repeated, more concerned about keeping his limbs intact than the fact that he had just plowed over his teammate.

Naoko growled, feeling too moody to pick a fight. She proceeded to ignore her teammate's obnoxious shouting as they walked along. _Wow. Really great day so far._

"Hey Sakura, what's up!" Naruto shouted as they finally neared the bridge. His face fell as he saw Sasuke, and the two boys glared daggers at each other before deliberately turning away.

Naoko sighed and walked over to Sasuke where she slid down to sit next to him. _You guys just __**have **__to try and kill each other with those looks, don't you._

Just as she pulled out a book her cell phone vibrated. Naoko groaned. _Not again._

**Dde, we gtta tk, mt me Ichikaru's fri 10:00, k? brngng sora if mks you fl bttr.**

Naoko's eyes narrowed. _He has __**got**__ to work on his spelling._

She pulled out her book again, determined to forget all about the phone call.

Twelve chapters later, Kakashi finally appeared.

"Hey guys," he said in his infuriatingly calm tone. "Good morning. Sorry I'm late. Afraid I got lost on the path of life."

"WHAAAT?" Naruto and Sakura shouted.

Naoko sighed and flipped a page.

"I'm ready for the next ninja mission, Sensei!" Naruto said enthusiastically. "And hey, no more of this dumb beginner stuff, okay? I want a chance to prove myself! I mean a real mission where I can show what I'm made of! Aaaau I gotta break out and burn it up! See?" He seriously looked like he was ready to burst into flames at any moment.

"Uh, right," Kakashi said, backing away from the over reactive genin. "I get it, that's great, Naruto. Now, take it easy, would you?"

Naruto turned around and focused his fiery glare on Sasuke. "BELIEVE IT!" he shouted after a few moments, leaving Naoko to wonder what rock he had crawled out from under.

"Let us know when you're done fantasizing, Naruto, so we can start the mission? All right?" Kakashi said.

"Right!" Naruto answered.

"Could you _not _be so annoying, Naruto," Sakura complained. "Just for _once_?"

...

Mission one started out as a blast. Until Naoko discovered it was just pulling weeds that is.

_Kill me now,_ she thought to herself as she wrestled with another dandelion.

At least the situation was humorous. Naruto, as usual, decided to turn a simple daily task into yet another competition with Sasuke. The genin, in his attempt to beat the Uchiha, somehow managed to uproot the entire garden.

The screams that echoed through the area when the older lady who owned the garden showed up made Naoko grinned.

_Naruto, I do not envy the bruises you will have by the time she's done knocking you clear into the middle of next week._

Mission two consisted of the four genin emptying a local stream of trash while Kakashi lounged under a tree with his book. Naoko, already infuriated by the fact that her feet were soaked, decided to take things out on Naruto.

A simple nudge with her foot and she was pleased to see Naruto slip and fall with a splash into the icy water. Unfortunately Naoko hadn't considered the waterfall up ahead, but Sasuke quickly had that under control, much to Naruto's dismay.

"You are such a loser," Sasuke stated, while Naruto growled from where he was hanging by Sasuke's grip on his shoe.

Mission three should have been fun. Dog walking wasn't too bad... until Kakashi handed Naoko the leash for a half-grown Dalmatian.

"You did that on purpose!" she screamed as the pup practically dragged her through the forest.

"It'll help control your energy levels," Kakashi called back.

Naoko's situation wasn't too bad though, considering Naruto's dog. The enormous bulldog pulled him into a minefield, then emerged again completely unharmed - dragging a smoking Naruto behind it.

"Look at you, you're hopeless, Naruto!" Sakura berated as she and Sasuke helped Naruto back.

"Hn," Sasuke smirked. "You really are just one big problem."

Naruto pulled free of the two, shoving Sakura aside. "SASUKE!"

Sakura's arm suddenly shot out in front of the blond genin, stopping his charge. "If you keep this up I'll finish you off myself!" she threatened.

Kakashi sighed. "Guess we're not making a lot of progress on the teamwork thing, huh?"

"That's right," Naruto shouted, waving his fist at Sasuke's retreating figure. "Our teamwork's all messed up and it's all because of you, Sasuke! You think you're better than anyone else?"

"Not everyone," Sasuke said calmly. "Just you. Face it, I'm better and stronger than you are. It's a fact."

_Translation: Face it, I've got a bigger ego than the whole village of Konoha. Sometimes I don't know whether to like you or knock out that cheesy smirk of yours, Sasuke._

Sasuke turned around to face Naruto. "Unless you have what it takes to prove me wrong."

Naoko watched a hawk sail overhead as the two boys stared one another down.

"All right, guys," Kakashi said, his eyes on the bird. "Let's call it a day. You can beat each other to a pulp some other time. Anyway, I have to file my report on this mission."

"Whatever," Sasuke said in a bored tone. "I'm outta here."

"Wait!" Sakura shouted happily. "Sasuke, uh, I'll go with you!" She ran after the Uchiha, leaving a dejected Naruto in the background.

"So, why don't we, I mean..." Sakura stammered, "Y'know, let's do something more personal! I mean to improve our teamwork and all."

"I swear you're just as bad as Naruto," Sasuke accused.

Sakura looked like a ten-ton weight had been dropped on her.

"Instead of flirting," Sasuke drove the knife deeper, "Why don't you practice your jutsu and make the team stronger. Let's face it. You're actually _worse _than Naruto."

Naoko growled and slammed her book shut. _That was uncalled for!_ She followed after Sasuke, ignoring the strange square rock that appeared to be chasing Naruto across the path.

"That was rude," Naoko snapped as she stepped in line with Sasuke.

"Face it, all she does is flirt," Sasuke answered in an irritated tone. "Besides, I thought you were on my side when it came to things like that."

"Not when you put down my own team members," Naoko jabbed as she stomped along beside him. "I thought Uchihas had a bit more sense than that!"

Sasuke gave her a sharp look and remained silent. Naoko finally threw her book at his head in disgust and stalked away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sasuke demanded as he ducked sideways.

"To talk to Haku!" Naoko shot back. "At least _he_ has some sense," she muttered.

...

Naoko had made a habit of visiting Haku at his cell nearly every day now, and the guards had gotten so used to it they had started calling down to "the kid" that his "little friend" had arrived.

Naoko paused at the door, waiting for the customary check to ensure she wasn't carrying anything that would help the prisoner escape. The guard, bored with the usual protocol, simply jabbed his thumb over his shoulder.

"The kid's been waiting for you," he said as he leaned back and studied the thin scratch on a kunai.

Naoko shrugged and walked over to Haku's cell.

When she first came to the jail she was afraid she would find a dirty old hole in the wall full of dripping water and large rats. The hokage, however, had been gracious. Haku's cell was clean, well ventilated, and even had a small window overlooking the grounds outside. The only chains he wore were a special pair of cuffs that prevented him from forming hand signals and yet allowed free movement otherwise.

"Hey, Haku," Naoko smiled as she pulled over a rickety chair and took a seat.

Haku smiled at her and put down a small puzzle cube he had been working on.

When Naoko had first started visiting Haku, feeling guilty over what had happened with Zabuza, he had been withdrawn and silent. He spoke to no one and wouldn't touch his food. Barely sparing Naoko a glance, he would nonetheless listen as she told him about what the village was up to or what Naruto's latest escapade had been.

Over the course of a few weeks he finally began to open up. He smiled more, especially when Naoko came to visit, and he appeared to be finding his purpose in life again. Tsunade had helped. With the Hokage's permission she began lending books out to the young boy, giving him something to do with the endless hours of being cooped up in his cell and providing him with a way to look into ideas for his future. Naoko had also begun bringing in puzzle cubes and literature of her own. She figured that by the time Haku got out, he would be so smart he wouldn't even need to pick a career - Konoha would hire him before he could take two steps out the door.

"... So yeah, and last I saw Naruto was running away from a funny rock," Naoko finished summarizing her day. "You never know what that kid is going to do next."

Haku smiled. "You seem to have a very exciting team," he said in his soft voice.

Naoko shrugged. "Yeah, we get a lot of noise. Sometimes I worry about Sas, though. I think he's getting too far into the whole "Uchiha avenger" thing. I'm afraid he's going to hurt himself someday."

"Revenge can be a hard path to take," Haku said. "Sometimes all it does is leave you broken."

Naoko sighed. "Yeah, tell that to Sasuke. I don't know why he wants to kill someone anyways. I mean, what's that got to do with his clan?"

"Have you ever considered the person he wants revenge on may have been responsible for his clan's death?" Haku asked in that calm voice that for some reason was never infuriating.

Naoko tilted her head to the side as she considered this. "You're right," she murmured. "I guess I'd want revenge too, if I could find out who killed my family."

Haku's brow furrowed slightly. "Even if you could find out, it would still cost you more to take vengeance than to forgive."

Naoko raised an eyebrow. "You know, it gets annoying when you come up with all these annoying proverbs and I can't think of one reason to punch your nose out."

Haku laughed softly. "Maybe that's a good thing."

Naoko sighed and leaned backwards, tilting her chair against the wall. "So... as long as you have all this confounded good advice... what do you do when somebody texts you and you find out he's somebody long dead and he's supposed to have information that doesn't exist and the only way you can find out about it is to meet him at Ichikaru's ten o'clock this Friday?"

Haku looked puzzled. "Is this someone you know?"

Naoko's eyes narrowed. "I've gotten about four text messages and a very loud phone call. That's enough."

Haku thought for a moment. "It could be dangerous," he answered, "but then, you never know. Maybe he will be someone very important to you."

"Or to my pet elephant," Naoko said dryly. "I've got a bad feeling about this. Like I'm not going to escape from his royal weirdness whether I meet him at Ichikaru's or not."

"Then perhaps it might be best to get it over with," Haku advised. "Or, it might be better to cut off any form of communication."

"I can't," Naoko said ruefully. "He knows my phone number. Plus he's an Uchiha. Believe me, he'll get the information to me somehow."

Haku looked as startled as a virtually unemotional former member of the ANBU can get. "An Uchiha?"

Naoko leaned closer to the bars. "Just between you and me I think he's lying," she whispered, checking around for the guards. "But just in case he isn't don't tell anyone, okay?"

Haku nodded slowly. "Perhaps it is better to get to the bottom of this after all," he said. "If an Uchiha truly is involved... it would be well for you to know why."

Naoko shook her head. "You know, I don't know which is worse - you coming up with all knowing statements or me putting up with it." She looked at the clock and stood up. "Well, I gotta go, it's already three and I have to practice with Sasuke later this afternoon. I'll bring you some more books later."

Haku stood up. "Thank you for stopping by," he said softly. "It gets a little lonely down here sometimes."

Naoko smiled. "I understand. I'll see you later."

She hurried out of the cell, tripping over her feet several times. The guard gave another bored nod as she left, still studying the scratch on his kunai.

Naoko shook her head. _Some things never change._

...

Ten o'clock p.m. found Naoko carefully making her way down the streets towards Ichikaru's. She cautiously entered the brightly lit restaurant, watching for this "Shisui" she was supposed to meet.

"Hey! Over here!" a whispered shout came.

Naoko looked further down and saw a not-so-inconspicuous raven haired weirdo waving his arms around just before a dark haired lady pulled him back down by his ear.

Naoko rolled her eyes. _Yep. I've got a feeling I know who that is._

She wandered down to the table and took a seat, then assessed the two people. Shisui, she presumed, was rather tall, with black hair reaching down to just above his shoulders and a big grin. He wore a black shirt resembling Sasuke's own blue outfit, but as far as Naoko could tell there was no symbol showing he was a part of the Uchiha clan.

The woman next to him appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen. She was shorter than Shisui but still tall, with a willowy figure and raven hair framing her heart shaped face. She wore a simple black long sleeved blouse and a long red skirt with black swirling designs. Neither of the ninjas wore forehead guards.

"So..." Shisui started, looking rather nervous all of a sudden. "Ummm... This is Sora, and I guess you know I'm Shisui... ummmm... yeah..."

Naoko raised an eyebrow. "Nice to meet you," she said coldly.

Sora elbowed Shisui in the ribs before taking up the conversation herself. "I came along after I heard _Shisui_ here told you what happened." Her gaze was unsettling. "You weren't supposed to know about this."

"Know. About. What." Naoko had had enough happen in her day without these two playing guessing games with her.

Sora sighed and put her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her folded hands. "About the Uchiha clan. First off...the Uchihas are not dead. They were rescued by someone, and although Itachi carried out the massacre, it was believed that he had the aid of another besides him."

"Whoah, whoah - hold it a minute!" Naoko put her hand up as her brain started to whirl. "Start at the beginning! First, what are you talking about with Itachi?"

"Of course, forgive me." Sora's voice was soft, with a musical lilt to it. She stopped a moment as though to gather her thoughts, her eyes saddened. "Itachi Uchiha was the one that killed off the Uchihas."

Naoko's eyes widened. This whole time she had been searching for a murderer?

"I... I cannot tell you exactly what happened," Sora continued. "You must find that out in your own time. Basically, Itachi attempted to murder his clan, but he was stopped... by an unexpected ally."

Naoko's eyes darted from side to side. She didn't like where this was going.

Shisui leaned forward, signaling he wanted to take over. "The night the massacre was supposed to take place, someone warned the leaders. We were able to get the clan out in time," he shrugged helplessly," _mi_nus three guys or so that wanted to take on Itachi, but we were able to get everyone else out. But someone had to make sure Itachi _thought_ the clan was dead, or he'd start hunting us out. The only person who could do that would have to have - "

"Shisui, be quiet!" Sora hissed.

"Wait, what?" Naoko asked, confused. "What would they have to have?"

Sora sighed. "Let us finish first. Basically our clan was able to escape in time - "

"The WHOLE clan!" Shisui leaped forward faster than Naoko's eye could track him and placed a finger against her lips.

"Quiet!" he hissed. "Do you want the whole city of Konoha on us? We're trying to keep a low profile here!"

Naoko drew back, dropping her voice to a harsh whisper. "But why? Why don't you want everyone to know?"

"Because Itachi's still out there!" Shisui practically shouted - if shouting in a whisper is possible. "Don't you get it? If Itachi finds out we're still alive, we'll all be dead before we can take two steps! That's why we've been hiding this whole time! Because of him!"

Naoko's mind whirled. "But what about Sasuke?" she asked in a louder voice. "He thinks you're dead too!"

"Sasuke!" Sora's eyes widened, allowing her own sharingan to activate.

_Two tomas in one eye and one in the other, _Naoko absently noted. _Like Sasuke's._

Shisui and Sora were exchanging shocked looks. "We thought Itachi had killed him!" Sora finally said in a choked voice. "He's with you?"

"Yeah, and thinking he's the last of his clan!" Naoko was standing up and waving her hands around, and Shisui quickly pushed her back down again. "Where have you guys been all this time anyways?"

"We've been hiding out with - " Sora clapped a hand out and cut off Shisui's explanation.

"Another clan," she finished for him. Her tone belayed the fact that she would not speak any further on the topic.

Naoko stood up. "I've got to tell him! He'll be so excited - "

"No, Naoko!" Sora jumped up and grabbed Naoko's arm, pulling her back. "You can't tell Sasuke!" she hissed.

"Why not!" Naoko demanded in close to a shout. "You're his clan! He thinks you're dead!"

"If Sasuke knows we're alive and Itachi finds him it will only be a matter of time before Itachi discovers our whole clan!" Sora answered. "He has ways of finding out information! If you tell Sasuke, then our entire clan could be in jeopardy!"

"Then what do I do?" Naoko asked, now speaking in a harsh whisper. "Are you _never_ going to tell him? You're his family!"

Sora sighed. "When Itachi is dead. Don't tell him until Itachi is dead."

Naoko's brow furrowed. "How long could that take?"

Sora looked down. "I don't know."

Naoko gave a growl of frustration and sat down. It didn't seem fair to Sasuke, but she knew from her reading on the sharingan powers that Sora could be telling the truth. Naoko couldn't hide her guilt though. She felt like she was betraying her best fried with the information was hiding. _He's gonna kill me._

"So you said someone else was with Itachi in the clan's murder. Who?"

Shisui shook his head. "We're not actually sure. That's also why we've been hiding out with the - "

"Shisui!"

Shisui flushed. "Right. Anyways, we haven't been allowed to have any contact with the outside world. You could say we've been... hidden away, rather than been in hiding ourselves. That's why we didn't know Sasuke was alive until now. You see... our rescuer... apparently _missed_ him you could say. She fell unconscious soon after completing the dou - Ow!"

Sora lashed out an arm and hit him on the shoulder as his tongue misled him again.

Naoko growled. Obviously they weren't about to tell her everything. "So who's _She_?"

Shisui heaved out a sigh and rolled a chopstick between his hands. "She... is Naoko Urutymaya at twelve and a half years old."

Sora closed her eyes and let her head fall into her hands. "You certainly have a way of softening the blow."

Naoko stared at them, eyes wide. "What are you talking about?" she ask in a quaky voice.

Sora straightened and looked her in the eye. "You are the one that rescued out clan," she said. "I cannot tell you how, or when. It is your duty to find out, and to complete the task."

_Find them... _The mysterious stranger's words hit Naoko with the force of a hurricane. _No. _It can't be...

Sora nodded as though reading her thoughts. "You have to travel on in the future, and find us in the past. Otherwise this present you know now will never happen."

"Well, that's not exactly true," Shisui stated, earning a dark look from Sora. "Technically the past already occurred, right? _Therefore_," he cut of Sora's protests, "it already happened, and _therefore_ I'm right in saying you are currently incorrect in your possible theory, and _therefore_..."

To Naoko the two seemed rather like a pair of squabbling siblings. She took the opportunity to study them with her spinning sharingan. Naoko was surprised to see that their chakra patterns were easy to distinguish.

Shisui had a warm yellow glow surrounding him, giving Naoko the impression that his personality consisted of insanity, cheerfulness, and the occasional serious attitude when the situation called for it. Naoko could pick up a distinct water jutsu, as well as a powerful form of dojutsu, possibly explained by the fact that his eyes had three tomoes. He had a variety of other jutsus as well, one in particular that was very powerful, though she couldn't put a name to it

Sora on the other hand had a dangerous feeling to her. A bright red glow made up her aura, and she had the essence of an assassin. Naoko's sharingan picked up a distinct form of gengetsu, as well as a shadow technique. It wasn't shadow clone jutsu, that was for sure, but she couldn't place it. Naoko leaned forward, fascinated that she couldn't continue to read any further into the lady.

So what else can you tell me about what I'm supposed to do with this 'clan' that I'm supposed to find?" Naoko interrupted the two.

Shisui scooted over so that he was further away from Sora, probably hoping to escape the reach of the dagger pointing out of her boot. "Basically you do nothing. You live your life, enjoy your dreams, try not to mess anything up as you go along. We'll be around to help you as needed."

"Shisui!" Sora just about scared him under the table. "We weren't even supposed to be here in the first place! I only came along because - "

"I know, I know!" Shisui's own shouts were drowning out the noise at Ichikaru's, drawing the attention of other customers to them. "Look," he dropped his voice to a whisper. "It's not exactly like she knows what's supposed to happen, right? I mean, all this stuff happened in the future - "

"So do you mind telling me why you're alive _right now_?" Naoko's voice held the semi-bored and very annoyed edge, which usually accompanied a sock in the face of whoever she was talking to.

"Oh, well - it happened in the past, right? But you have to got to the future and accomplish it." Naoko gave Shisui a blank look at his explanation.

Shisui sighed. "All right, let's look at it this way. Basically, you're what... eleven or so right now?"

"I'm almost twelve," Naoko snapped.

Shisui waved a hand nonchalantly and continued. "Right. Well anyways, you go off and do your little 'ruin Itachi's plans thingy' when you're halfway to thirteen. Basically about a year from now, you go back in the past, save our stinkin' lives, go back to the future, live out your life, and try not to get yourself killed. We're supposed to be alive though, because you rescued us three years back. Which means - "

"So you know what happens in my future?" Naoko broke in. "Do I get married? Do any of my teammates die? Will - "

"Whoah, whoah, whoah!" Shisui held both hands out for her to calm down. "None of us know exactly what happens in the next year or so. All we know is what you told us as a twelve and a half year old about how you did the whole rescuing thing. And we can't tell you that, because according to _Sora_ you have to figure that out by yourself. I have no idea if we were even supposed to be meeting you in this timeline, but hey, as long as we botched up the future as it is we might as well help you the rest of the way."

Naoko's eyes narrowed. "So you can't tell me how I do it but you can still _help_ me rescue _your_ clan."

Shisui's eyes darted back and forth. "Right!" he said nervously.

Naoko sighed and rested her chin in her cupped hands, elbows on the table. "So how come I didn't rescue the Urutymayas?"

"Weeelll," Shisui drawled, "My theory is that you kinda hafta know about _who_ you're rescuing and _what from_. No one knows how the Urutymayas were killed. That kinda puts a blocker on your planning skills right there."

"And yet I do find out what happened with the Uchihas?"

Shisui shrugged. "Somewhere along the line."

Naoko gave him a glare. "So how does _this_ help me?"

Shisui tilted his head to the side as he considered. "Well... seeing as we gave you warning ahead of time, I think that should do a lot... hmm... I can suggest some books for you to read!"

Naoko raised an eyebrow. "Are you really suggesting that I give you the opinion that I consider you an idiot?"

Shisui laughed shortly. "No, no. I meant books that will help you find this stuff out. I would suggest _Duplications of the Body and Mind _first, and I advise you to get as much medical knowledge as you can." He wiggled his eyebrows mysteriously and grinned. "Trust me - you might need it. Oh, and also I suggest you keep working on that sharingan. I notice it spins around all the time. That's an Urutymaya trait. Keep it up - you'd be surprised how many secrets it can reveal to you."

Naoko gave him a suspicious look. "How much do you know about the Urutymayas?"

Sora and Shisui exchanged a glance and seemed to come to a silent agreement.

"Everything," Shisui said as he leaned forward.

Naoko's eyes narrowed. "Okay. Tell me what you know."

...

Naoko left the restaurant with a stomach full of ramen (courtesy of Sora forcing Shisui to pay) and a head full of halfway useful facts. She'd learned more about her clan in the past hour than she had ever found out in Konoha.

_The Urutymayas first appeared sometime during the great ninja wars. Kakashi's story of their origin was correct - they were descendents of the Uchihas. Rumors led people to believe that Izuna Uchiha was the one that started the clan, though there was no way of proving the theory._

_As for the nine-tailed wolf that Kakashi mentioned? No one had seen it since Izuna's death. Whether it was originally a part of the Urutymayas or not was uncertain._

_The Urutymayas were well known for their spinning sharingan - a special mutation from the Uchiha's original sharingan. They were specifically known for their ability of using it to somehow meddle with time. The genetic coding for the ability was so specific only pureblood Urutymayas were able to inherit the trait, and few of these ever developed it fully._

_From the Uchiha clan, the Urutymayas had also inherited the sharingan. Due to it being a weaker bloodline though, few managed to develop it. Those who did rarely had more than one or two tomoes._

_What exactly had happened to the Urutymayas as of recent was not revealed. _

_The absorbing powers were a trait specifically associated with the Tianiyas, and once again only found in pureblood Urutymayas. The powers could be controlled, yes, but only by extensive practice and knowledge of one's chakra levels. The blasts, absorbing capabilities, and whether or not the Urutymaya __**chose**__ to absorb chakra at all would all depend on one's ability to control that particular path of chakra._

_Pureblood Urutymayas did not marry their siblings or immediate family members._

_The Tianiyas had been fully capable of using their absorbing abilities for healing purposes - a trait which was passed down through the entire Urutymaya clan._

_No one knew who had killed off the Urutymaya group Naoko had been with, and any suspicions were not voiced in that particular meeting._

_How old the Urutymaya clan was is unknown. Some say they have only existed since the great ninja wars, but others argue that their ability to mess with time allowed them to have lived much longer._

_No, a typical Urutymaya did not live any longer than a normal human. Then tended to be more suicidal in battle rather, but those who did manage to die of old age were usually around 70 or 80 years old. The only thing that might have been affected number wise by the time traveling was their clan size and the weak strain of Uchiha/Tianiya blood left._

**(Author's note: If you have any further questions about the Urutymayas that I have not answered yet, feel free to post and I might edit this section.)**

As she walked down towards her apartment, Naoko had to swerve suddenly to avoid a ninja in her path.

_What - who was that? _Naoko frowned at the unfamiliar chakra signature. The ninja turned slowly to look at her, and Naoko took notice of luminous silvery gray eyes and short hair - it was too dark to note the color. A strange device was strapped onto the ninja's back. Just as suddenly as he was there, the ninja was gone. Naoko's brow furrowed. It was only a select few ninja who could move so silently as that. She stayed a moment longer, then continued to her apartment.

When she got there Naoko stepped into her room and flipped on the light, then looked at the list of book titles Shisui had given her.

_Duplications of the Body and Mind_

_Medical Jutsu for Beginners_

_Training Against Gengetsu: When Not to Make Eye Contact_

_Medical Jutsu for Intermediates_

_The Third Great Ninja War_

_Medical Jutsu for Post-Intermediates_

_How to Tell if a Ninja is Your Enemy_

_Gengetsu, Taijutsu, and Dojutsu: A Beginner's Guide_

_Jokes and Laughs for Beginners_

Naoko took a second glance at the last title and shook her head. _I've got a feeling I know who read that one. _She had already leafed through some of the other books on the list, so Naoko made a mental note to check out the further advanced books in those particular series - if she had time before the next mission.

With a sigh Naoko flipped off the light and put the list on the table. She flopped onto the bed without even bothering to take off her shoes and was soon fast asleep.

...

**Shisui: "I'm ALIVE!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Yes, Shisui, we know that by now."**

**Nathaniel: "Writer would appreciate some reviews. Turning off the computer now."**

**Shisui: (Tapes message onto blank screen) "Shisui = #1!" **


	16. Meet the Grammar Perfectionist

**A Tragic Galaxy: "You know, it's very hard to write when a kitten wants to use **_**both**_** your arms as a pillow."**

**Nathaniel: "Cry me a river."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "You know, you're not very sympathetic."**

**Shisui: (Sings with ATG's ipod) "Your iphone is broken!"**

**Nathaniel: "You let him use your ipod?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "No, he actually stole it from me. I figured I'd rather he hold that hostage than my computer."**

**Nathaniel: "The world is doomed."**

**Ryuu: "I thought you hated Shisui's singing."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I do. But I like Perry Gripp's song, 'Your Iphone is Broken.'"**

**Shisui: "For just two hundred dollars!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Yes, Shisui, we get the point."**

**Shisui: "Yes, your iphone is broken!"**

**Satoru, Ryuu, Nathaniel: "Shisui, shut up!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Roll film!"**

**... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...**

The morning stillness was shattered early as Sakura began screaming about Kakashi being late again. Naoko flipped a page of _Medical Jutsu for Beginners_ and ignored the Haruno's ranting.

"WHY? WHY? WHY? It's always the same! He sets the time then we have to wait HOURS for him!" Sakura screamed.

"It's not fair!" Naruto agreed, punching a fist in the air.

"What about my feelings," Sakura continued. "I rushed here so fast I didn't have time to blow dry my hair!"

_Dude. You have got to be kidding me if you're saying that's what's setting you off this morning._

"And I didn't even have time to brush my teeth or change my underwear!" Naruto one-upped.

_Guys are so weird. _Naoko turned another page in her book.

It was then that Kakashi decided to make his appearance. "Hey," he said cheerfully. "Good morning, everyone. Sorry I'm late. 'Fraid I got lost in the path of life."

"YOU LIAR!" Naruto and Sakura shouted as one.

Naoko sighed and dog-eared her page before standing up. "You know, you could use a different excuse every now and then."

Kakashi leaped down from the bridge railing. "I know this is a bit sudden," he said, sounding not at all apologetic, "But I recommended you for chunin exams. All four of you."

He held out several pieces of paper. "These are the application forms."

Naoko wrinkled her nose. "I hate paper work!"

"Application forms?" Sakura asked.

"You're repeating me, Sakura," Kakashi said in that annoying voice that could curdle sandpaper. "This is all voluntary. It's up to each of you. If you're not ready you can wait till next year."

"All right!" Naruto yelled as he grabbed Kakashi's neck in an overenthusiastic hug. "Kakashi Sensei, you rock!"

"Hey! D-don't slobber on my vest!" Kakashi quickly pushed Naruto aside and handed him a sign up sheet. "Whoever wants to take the exams, sign the application and come to room 301 at the academy. It's at 3:00 pm, five days from now. That's it."

"Yeahahaha!" Naruto cackled madly. "Chunin exams, CHUNIN EXAMS!"

...

"Hm, Chunin exams," Naruto was still jabbering about them as they walked back with their signup sheets. "I'll be up against a lot of really wicked ninja!"

"You'll get over it," Naoko grumbled as she trudged along next to Sasuke. _Pleease, give me a break from the hyperactivity, just once_.

"So what am I supposed to expect?" she asked the team. "I was kinda gone yesterday, so I missed anything happening."

"There's ninja coming from all the surrounding villages," Sakura was happy to fill in. "This is the big test to graduate from genin to chunin, so all the teams who expect to pass come in!"

"And... we're expected to beat them?" Naoko wondered if that's where the ninja she had bumped into last night had come from.

Sakura nodded. "We can't become chunin otherwise." She looked worried.

Naoko twisted her mouth to the side and examined her sign up sheet. "So... had any sight of the contestants we'll be against?"

"There's a couple people from the village hidden in the sand," Sasuke spoke up. "We met them yesterday."

Naoko raised an eyebrow. Sasuke was definitely irked about something... other than normal everyday life. "Any names in particular?"

Sasuke was silent a moment. "Yeah. Gaara."

Naoko rolled her eyes. _And the friendly competition is lost before it starts._ "Well, I'd better get back then." She held up the admissions form, "I'll want to get this thing taken care of right away before I forget to turn it in."

"But we've got five days..." Naruto's voice trailed off as Naoko disappeared from sight.

...

It was three days before the chunin exams. Naoko was comfortably settled against a brick wall, munching an apple and reading _Duplications of the Mind and Body_. The book was from the list of readings Shisui had suggested to her, and it had lengthy explanations of complicated shadow clone jutsus, gengetsus, and the best ways to convince your enemy he has found your dead body. _Boy, I hope Zabuza never read this thing!_ Naoko took another large bite of her apple and was surprised when her book was suddenly snatched away.

"What's this?" a leering voice taunted. "Reading? No wonder you rookies are gonna fail the exams!"

Naoko looked up at the person speaking. His headband showed he was a member of the rain village, and he wore a mask and a funny straw hat. He was very tall, and had the muscle and appearance of a bully.

"Iruka Sensei, will you please give me my book back?" Naoko asked with a long-suffering sigh.

The ninja spluttered in surprise for a moment, then the disguise disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing her former teacher.

"How did you know it was me?" Iruka asked as he handed Naoko her book.

Naoko grinned wickedly and allowed her sharingan to twirl wildly. "Just a lucky guess."

Iruka shook his head slightly and smiled. "And I thought you guys weren't prepared for this stuff."

Naoko looked up with slight surprise. "You're doing this to everybody?"

"Everyone who was in my class," Iruka confirmed. "Don't tell Sasuke - I haven't had a chance to test him yet."

Naoko rolled her eyes. "Like you really need to."

Iruka grinned. "Good luck with the exams." Then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_So... Iruka Sensei was worried we weren't ready, huh? Hm, whatever. _Naoko took another bite of her apple and opened her book again.

...

The first day of exams finally arrived. For once Naoko sided with Naruto's hyperactive personality - she could hardly stand still for excitement. Finally _- a chance to bout with expert genin without the danger of getting myself killed! I wonder if I'll be able to put any of my recent readings into practice? Not to mention this is going to be t__**ons**__ easier without all those layers!_

After the last couple "D" ranked missions, Naoko had finally dropped her strict dress code and started walking around in more casual clothing. She liked the outfit she had worn to the bell test, and so that became her regular uniform. Kakashi had berated her about it for weeks, but after Naoko's persistent refusing to redesign her wardrobe he finally ceased his arguments over the matter. Even the hokage had finally dismissed the matter, though he insisted that one incidence with her accidentally absorbing chakra would mean it was back to covering every inch of exposed skin but her face again.

"Sakura!" Naruto's voice called out. "You're late!"

"Uh, right," Sakura blushed. "Sorry, guys."

Naoko had a feeling the pink-haired genin had been contemplating whether or not to come at all.

"Good morning, Sasuke," Sakura said in a slightly stiff voice.

"Yeah," he replied in his usual monotone.

_Huh. Wonder what got into her ramen? She's not squealing and trying to get his attention like usual..._

...

"... Some of you won't survive, and some of you will go crazy," Naoko heard the voice drift down the hall as they entered. Two teenaged ninja were blocking the doors to room 301.

Or... not 301. And teenagers? Yeah, right.

"You think it's a joke?" the spiky haired teenager taunted a girl in a pink shirt. "The chunin are qualified to lead missions. The lives of your team members are in your hands, so you'd better be tough enough to take the heat. Delicate little girls don't belong here!"

Naoko's eyes narrowed. _Do not kill the senseis..._

"We're just thinning out the herd," the other "teenager" replied. "You won't pass anyways, so go home and play with your dolls!"

"Real nice speech," Sasuke said with mild irritation as he approached the two. "Now both of you step aside and let me through." He stepped forward. "And while you're at it, reverse the genjutsu. We can see through your illusion, anyway. We're going to the _third _floor."

"What does he mean?" Naoko heard one genin ask. "We're on the third floor."

"Well, well," Spiky Hair started.

Naoko frowned. _I really need to start learning the senseis' names._

"So, you noticed the genjutsu, huh?" his friend filled in.

"Go ahead, tell them Sakura." Sasuke unexpectedly turned to the Haruno. "I'm sure you saw it before anyone else did."

"Huh?" Sakura asked.

Naoko raised an eyebrow. _Wait - he's being nice for once? Is it because she wasn't virtually drooling over him all morning?_

"You have the sharpest eyes and the best analytical skills on our squad," Sasuke explained. "You must have seen this coming a mile away."

_Liar_. Oh, well. It was a nice lie.

"I... must have?" Sakura still sounded confused.

Well, it _was_ a nice lie while it lasted.

"Well sure," Sakura finally caught on. "Of course! Sure, I spotted it right away! This is only the second floor."

_Nice save, Sakura, but don't overdo it._

"Right!" Naruto took his turn in pretending to know what was going on. Naoko didn't buy it.

Abruptly the 301 sign swirled around so that it was reading 201 instead.

"Huh. Well aren't we the smart ones," Spiky Head said snidely. "So you noticed an illusion. Now let's see you deal with this!" He launched himself at Sasuke, who in turn kicked out a foot in defense. What wasn't expected was the green blur that placed itself between the two.

Naoko took a step back as one of the Konoha genin suddenly appeared between the two ninjas, holding their blows back with his hands.

_Wow. He's gotta be pretty strong even if he's just using chakra to stop those blows. Wonder who he is?_

"Hey, what happened to the plan?" one of the genin Naoko recognized as Neji Hyuga asked. "I thought you were the one that said to keep a low profile and don't let anyone see our skill level."

"I know," Green blur excused, "but - "

"Never mind, it's over! Forget it!" the girl in the squad said sharply, stopping the green clad ninja mid-excuse.

The tall green clad genin appeared to have forgotten his apparent irritation against Sasuke (a common side effect of meeting the Uchiha, Naoko had come to discover) and was moving towards Sakura.

"My name is Rock Lee," he said formally. "You are Sakura, right?"

"Huh?" Sakura was clueless.

Rock Lee gave a thumbs up signal and flashed a grin. "Please be my girlfriend! I vow to protect you with my life!"

Naoko groaned and put a hand over her face. _This is ludicrous_.

"Definitely," Sakura said in a small voice. "Not."

Rock Lee looked like someone had stabbed a pin into his balloon of happiness. "Why?" he asked in a despaired and disbelieving tone.

"Because you're a weirdo," Sakura said matter-of-factly.

Rock Lee's head slumped in horror, and Naruto laughed.

"Hey you," Neji addressed Sasuke. "Over here. What's your name?"

Naruto suddenly looked ready to explode.

"It's common courtesy to give your own name before asking someone else's," Sasuke replied coolly.

"Hey you're a rookie aren't you?" Neji shot back. "How old are you, anyway?"

"I'm not obliged to answer," Sasuke said, a hint of danger creeping into his tone.

"What's that?" Neji's eyes narrowed.

The girl on his team giggled, a specific pitch that was commonly associated with crushes and tended to put Naoko's teeth on edge. Naoko gave her a prim smile and walked over to stand next to Sasuke.

"You got something to say to him?" she asked in her best "Ino" imitation as she put an elbow up on Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke gave her a shocked look but Naoko continued to grin competitively at the girl.

Sakura meanwhile looked ready to explode from jealousy, and the girl from Rock Lee's team was fuming at the challenge.

"So who are you, four eyes?" the girl spat.

"Oh, let it go, Tenten," Neji said. "She's not worth it."

"Yeah, let it go, Tenten," Naoko sneered. "You're too girlish to try messing with an Urutymaya."

The taunt had its desired effect, and with a yell Tenten tried to launch herself at Naoko. She was immediately stopped by Neji, but that didn't stop her from hurling her own insults.

"Listen up you brat!" Tenten yelled. "You'd better hope you don't get placed against me in the exams, because you're really going to pay for that!"

Naoko raised a cool eyebrow. "I look forward to it," she said calmly, then flitted away, doing a perfect imitation of any prim and proper young lady. "Oh, and by the way," she turned back to face Tenten. "The name is Naoko."

"You bet I won't forget it!" Tenten hissed before allowing Neji to lead her away from the group.

"What was that about?" Sasuke asked warily as he rejoined Naoko.

Naoko cringed. "Just forget about it. Really. I just wanted to make her mad."

"Hn," Sasuke replied. "Well don't make a habit out of it."

Naoko made a face in response. Looking over, she saw both Naruto and Rock Lee moping with their faces to the wall.

"A weirdo?" Rock Lee mourned.

"Aw, no one wants to know my name!" Naruto complained.

"Hey, Naruto, Sasuke, let's go!" Sakura said excitedly as she grabbed the boys' arms.

"All right, don't pull me, Sakura!" Sasuke griped.

"Uh, yeah... I'll be right there... I guess." Naoko's eyes narrowed as Sakura dragged the others to the stairs.

"Bye Senseis," she whispered to the Spiky Head and his friend before she ran off. She caught their astounded gazes watching her leave and she giggled at seeing through their fraud.

As they approached a group of pillars, Rock Lee caught up with them.

"Hey you! With the attitude!"

Naoko was pretty sure she could make a list - a very long list - of people who had referred to Sasuke as 'you with the attitude.'

"Hold on!" Rock Lee's words were strictly punctuated and precise.

"What do you want?" Sasuke said in an irritated tone.

"I want to fight," Rock Lee answered. "Right here, and right now."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "You want to fight me here and now, huh?"

"Yes." Rock Lee vaulted himself over the railing at the top of the stairway, landing with ease at the bottom. "My name is Rock Lee. You said it is common courtesy for a challenger to give his own name first, right? Sasuke Uchi-ha?"

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly but his features remained cool and composed. "Hn. So you know me."

"I challenge you!" Rock Lee took a defensive position. "Everyone is always talking about the Uchiha clan, and how great they are. I want to see if it is true. And I figured you would be a good test for me."

Naoko's eyes narrowed. _Oh, so nobody notices the Urutymaya? Well fine! Lavish all your attention on the __**Uchiha!**__ It's not like he's all __**that **__important_! For the first time she felt insane jealousy against her teammate.

"And also," Rock Lee looked towards Sakura, his face flushing. "Oh, Sakura! I love you!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" Sakura leaped backwards, screaming in horror. "This can't be real, noooo! You're hairstyle is horrible too, and those eyebrows are so bushy! You're such a weirdo!"

"You are an angel, sent from heaven," Rock Lee insisted. He sent a chakra heart towards the Haruno. She screamed and dodged it, letting it splat onto a pillar.

"That was a good move," Rock Lee said, "But let us see you dodge this!" He quickly sent out a barrage of the hearts, evoking a groan from Naoko.

"I can't believe this!" Naoko moaned as she batted away a stray heart that came too close. It stuck to the book she was wielding and Naoko looked at it ruefully before tearing the cover off and pasting it to Naruto's forehead. He immediately started a screaming fit of his own.

Sakura meanwhile was shrieking her head off and dancing around attempting to evade the heart attack. She nearly gave herself a concussion as she bent backwards and hit her head on the floor. Finally the last of the hearts stuck to the pillar behind her.

"Hey! Keep your creepy little valentines to yourself!" Sakura shouted. "I was dodging for my life there!"

Rock Lee slumped. "You do not have to be so negative, Sakura."

"You've heard of the Uchiha clan, yet you're challenging me?" Sasuke broke in a slightly incredulous tone. "You must be even more psycho than you look. If that's possible." His face darkened. "You want to know more about my clan? Then I'll teach you. The hard way."

Rock Lee put a hand up. "Bring it on!"

"Hold it!" Naruto's voice broke in as he finally managed to tear the book cover off, leaving a red heart shaped mark on his forehead.

_Really?_

"I get him first," Naruto growled. "This weirdo is mine!"

"Go for it," Sasuke said.

"Naruto," Sakura warned in an irritated voice.

"What, it'll take me two minutes to have this guy begging for mercy," Naruto promised.

Naoko rolled her eyes. _This ends badly._

"No, thank you," Rock Lee said, his eyebrows drawn together. "Right now the only one I want to fight is the Uchiha."

"Yeah," Naruto challenged, "Well I've got news for you!" He started to run forward. "Sasuke can't compare to me! Believe it!"

Rock Lee only watched him from under dark brows.

Naruto charged forward with a yell - only to be stopped short as Lee put down two fingers and effectively disabled his punch. Naruto swung a foot around in a high kick, but Rock Lee easily dodged.

"Lee whirlwind!" he shouted as he kicked Naruto's hand out from under him, causing the Uzamaki to go spinning into the wall.

"Well that didn't last long," Naoko muttered as she attempted to copy the attack with her stable sharingan. She was surprised at Rock Lee's moves. So far he had left nothing for her to copy, but had only done a variety of hand to hand combat attacks, focusing his chakra into strengthening the blows instead of using it to create other ways to fight.

Rock Lee straightened. "Just accept it. You have no chance against me. Your skills are inferior. You see, Sasuke, out of all the top league genin I am the best. Fight me and I will prove it to you."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

Naoko tilted her head to the side as she examined Rock Lee's chakra. His aura was a high-toned, vibrant green and seemed extremely boring. Strangely it was not focused in any chakra skill. _Funny, I can't seem to read any particular chakra paths, either. I wonder why._

"Hn," Sasuke sneered. "This will be fun. Let's do it."

"There's no time, Sasuke," Sakura argued. "We've got to register by 3:00, that's less than half an hour."

"Relax," Sasuke replied. "This will be over... in five seconds." He ran out towards Rock Lee.

The instant his fist was about to make contact with Rock Lee's face however, the genin disappeared. Naoko's spinning sharingan instantly activated itself, allowing her to see Rock Lee swerve around behind Sasuke and come in for a blow.

"Sas, behind you!" she called out.

Sasuke managed to duck just in time to avoid two high kicks, but he was unable to evade the punch Rock Lee aimed at his face.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed as the raven haired genin went flying.

Sasuke hit the floor with a thud, sliding a ways before he lay unmoving.

Naoko cringed. _He can't be done in that fast! _She watched as he struggled to get up, but it appeared to be difficult for the Uchiha. _Boy, that weirdo __**does**__ know how to fight! I wonder if he used that special punch thingy that makes you forget how to move like I read about in Medical Jutsu for Intermediates?_

"Hn," Sasuke said, regaining his feet.

_Okay, not so immobile. Good thing too - the book says that move can paralyze you for months!_

"I've been waiting to try this out," Sasuke grinned as his eyes turned red.

_Well it's about time!_ Naoko couldn't understand why Sasuke didn't use his sharingan more often. She had been utilizing it ever since her own had accidentally developed.

Sharingan blazing, Sasuke leaped towards Rock Lee. Sakura was looking like a lovesick puppy again, making Naoko realize ruefully that the cool and composed girl she had seen this morning was not likely to make a second appearance.

As Sasuke attacked Rock Lee however, Naoko's insight on the sharingan's power suddenly changed. A high kick to the chin and Sasuke was once again sent flying across the room.

_HOW did he do that?_

"You see," Rock Lee bragged, "my technique is not ninjutsu or genjutsu." He continued the fight and was able to land another kick to Sasuke's face, and then a blow to the stomach.

"You get it now?" Rock Lee taunted. "I am using taijutsu, that means no tricks. Sasuke," he hissed as he leaped in the air again and landed behind the Uchiha. "It is just straight martial arts, nothing more."

"Why you - !" Sasuke swung his arm backwards, but Rock Lee easily evaded it.

"I know your techniques," Rock Lee said. "Forget it! It will not work! Not on me! I know you can see through your opponent's jutsu. That sharingan gives you the ability to read his chakra, and decipher his hand signs and movements. You can guess what he's going to do almost before he knows himself. The problem is, taijutsu is a little bit different."

"Right? So what's your point?" Sasuke scowled.

"I do not try to hide or disguise my moves," Rock Lee answered. "I do not have to. Even if you can read them, you still cannot stop them. You are too slow."

_Is it just me or is this guy really starting to get on my nerves?_

Rock Lee continued. "Your eyes may be quick enough to stay one step ahead of me, but if your body cannot keep up, what good does it do you?"

Sasuke gave a yell of exasperation, a rare show of emotion for the Uchiha.

"You know what?" the bushy browed genin didn't wait for an answer. "Here is what I believe. There are two different kinds of ninja: those like you who are born with talent and do not have to work at it, and those like me, the ones who have to train every day of our lives!"

Sasuke had started running towards Rock Lee as he spoke, and the Uchiha now raised a fist to strike. Rock Lee easily dodged.

"The fact is your sharingan is the worst match... " the genin ducked another blow, "...for my extreme taijutsu. Here is what I mean!" Rock Lee launched himself at Sasuke.

His foot caught the Uchiha straight in the chin, and as Sasuke was airborne Rock Lee jumped out so that he was soaring underneath him.

"Dancing leaf shadow," Sasuke guessed as Rock Lee appeared underneath him.

"Good eye," Rock Lee answered. "Now I will prove my point."

Naoko's sharingan instantly began copying the chakra sequence as the bandages wrapped around Rock Lee's wrists began to unwind. _This isn't good..._

"That hard work beats out natural talent," the bushy browed genin said. "You're finished!"

A windmill suddenly lashed out and caught the end of the bandage, pinning it to the wall. Naoko and the others gasped in surprise.

"This is bad," Rock Lee said calmly.

Naoko whirled around to see... a large red tortoise sitting in the middle of the room. _This can't be happening._

"All right, that's enough!" the turtle shouted. "Lee!"

Rock Lee flipped in the air several times and landed lightly in a crouch, facing the tortoise with an air of respect.

"Sasuke!" Sakura cried out as she ran towards the falling Uchiha, catching him just in time to break his fall somewhat.

Naoko dashed over herself, hoping nothing other than her friend's pride was injured.

"Are you okay?" Sakura questioned. "Sasuke!" She looked very worried.

"You... you were watching us the whole time?" Rock Lee asked the tortoise.

"Of course!" the tortoise answered. "That last technique is forbidden, you know that!"

_He's talking... to a tortoise. _Naoko looked over at Naruto and saw that he was just as confused about the situation as he was. _Finally, someone as clueless as I am._ "I'm staying on this side of the room," she informed the others as she went to join Naruto.

"I am sorry," Rock Lee said. "I didn't mean to."

The tortoise made eye contact with Rock Lee, and something in his look must have scared the genin out of his sandals because he leaped to his feet and started profusely making excuses.

"Dah! I was not planning to use a forbidden jutsu! It is just, I-I was in the middle of the fight, and I ..."

"Hey, you guys!" Naruto shouted as he ran over the Sakura and Sasuke. "That weird thing he's talking to over there is a turtle!"

"Thank you for pointing out that out, Naruto," Naoko said dryly as she joined them.

"Obviously!" Sakura shouted. "What'd you think it is?"

"Okay then," Naruto answered. "So maybe it means that turtles can be sensei too!"

Naoko slapped her forehead with her palm.

"How would I know if they could be sensei too?" Sakura yelled.

"You're a disgrace!" the tortoise shouted in the background.

Rock Lee cringed and whimpered.

"You think you'll get away with a bunch of lame excuses like that?" the tortoise continued. "The shinobi never reveals his techniques unless it's absolutely necessary! It's such a basic rule you should know it by now!"

"Forgive me, sir," Rock Lee said.

_Impeccable grammar. If he weren't so annoying I think I might actually like this guy. _Naoko looked over and caught sight of Sasuke's look of hatred directed at Rock Lee. It would be a while before the Uchiha moved past this particular humiliation.

"Are you prepared to take the punishment for your actions?" the tortoise asked.

"I - yes, sir," Rock Lee said quietly.

"All right then, please come out!" the tortoise barked. "Guy sensei!"

A ninja identical to Rock Lee save size and age appeared on the tortoise's back. "Hey, what's shakin'!" he announced to team seven. "How ya doin' everybodyeee? Life treatin' ya good?"

Naoko's mouth dropped open. _This guy's as cracked as Shisui!_

"Dah! He's got the biggest eyebrows yet!" Naruto shouted. "They're almost alive!"

"Hi, Lee," Guy said as he flashed a grin identical to the genin's own.

"Too weird," Sakura commented as she watched the sensei.

"So that's where Lee gets it from," Naruto added. "Same soup bowl haircut, and even bushier eyebrows!"

Lee whirled around, looking as mad as a cat who got its tail stepped on. "Dah! Do not insult Guy Sensei! He's one of the greatest men in the entire world!"

"Well excuse me for not noticing his greatness I was too busy watching him crawl out from beneath a turtle!" Naruto's shouts dominated the room.

"He did not crawl out - "

"Give it a rest, Lee," Guy waved a hand for Rock Lee to calm down.

"Yes, sir," Lee said quietly.

"Now for your punishment you fool!" Naoko's eyes widened as Guy's hand lashed out and knocked his pupil across the room!

_I can't believe he just did that! He hit his own student!_

Guy walked over to where Lee had fallen on his side and bent on one knee. "I'm sorry, Lee, but," his voice choked up, "It's for you own good."

"S-sensei. Sensei." Before Naoko could even change her look of shock to skepticism, sensei and student were both crying hysterically.

"G-go ahead, Lee," Guy said in a chocked sob.

"Oh, Sensei," Lee said in an equally constricted voice, "I am... so sorry!"

Naoko opened her book and plopped it onto her face. "I don't believe this." _Why is it that senseis are always idiots? It's probably because they finally have a mental breakdown by the time they get past the chunin stage._

"All right. It's over. You don't need to say anymore," Guy said in a husky voice.

"Sensei!" Rock Lee jumped up and threw his arms around his teacher, both of them crying their eyes out.

_I really need to sign up for kitchen duty before I become a jounin._

"It's okay, it's only a face," Guy continued to sob.

"I'm... sorry... Sensei," Lee cried.

_Kill me now._

The two finally stood up. "You're just caught in between," Guy croaked, putting a hand on Lee's shoulder. "You're too old to be called a boy and not quite yet a man."

"You are so good to me, Guy Sensei!" Lee spluttered.

_After he knocked you halfway across the room?_

"Now take off!" Guy ordered, his voice more normal. "I want you to give me a hundred laps around the practice field. Show me what you got!"

"Yes, sir! No problem!" Lee replied.

"Run into the setting sun," Guy said, pointing to... the wall. "Run and suffer! But don't mess up your hair."

_I sense a loony_...

"Let us go!" Guy said.

"Right!" Lee agreed, and they walked off.

"Hey, wait!" Naruto shouted. "We're not finished here! You guys can't just walk off like that!"

"And what about the chunin exams?" Sakura added. "There's no time for fooling around!"

"Oh, um, right! I forgot about that!" Guy announced as turned around, scratching his head. He turned to Lee and cleared his throat. "Lee, you not only disobeyed the rules against fighting, but you also disrupted the chunin exams. I think that warrants a slightly more severe punishment, don't you?"

"Yes, sir," Lee saluted as Naoko winced.

"Le-et's say FIVE hundred laps, how does that sound!" Guy announced jovially.

"Outstanding, sir!" Lee agreed.

"They're insane," Sakura summed up.

"Probably," Naruto answered, "But forget about them. What's with that turtle anyway?"

"Gah! He's looking at us!" Sakura screamed as Guy's gaze fell on the squad.

"Tell me," Guy said. "How is Kakashi sensei?"

"Do you know him?" Sasuke asked.

"Do I know Kakashi?" Guy answered. "Hm-hm-hm. Well people say... he and I are arch rivals for all eternity."

_Oh, joy._

"There's just no way!" Naruto and Sakura shouted in disbelief.

"How dare you!" Rock Lee replied. "If Guy Sensei says it is true then - "

"Le-et it slide, Lee," Guy interrupted. "A ninja's actions always speak louder than words."

Suddenly Guy disappeared. Naoko looked over in surprise. There had been no flash of smoke, no burst of chakra. He had been there one moment, and then he was gone.

"My record is fifty wins and forty-nine losses," Guy said as he appeared in a puff of smoke behind them. "Which is one better than his, by the way."

"What?" Sasuke asked in disbelief.

"Huh? You're kidding!" Naruto said. "How'd he beat Kakashi?"

Guy winked and held out a thumbs up. "The fact is I'm stronger than Kakashi. And faster." His smile flashed.

Naoko rolled her eyes. "And certainly _just_ as _humble_ too!"

"Do not insult - "

"Lee!"

Lee drew back at his sensei's rebuke. "You see? Guy sensei is the best there is!"

"I'm sorry for the trouble he caused you," Guy said in arrogant tone. "Look into my eyes and accept a sincere apology. Also notice my handsome manly features."

Naoko had to work very hard not to knock out someone's handsome nose.

"Remember give it your best! Lee, farewell!" Guy lifted his hand in a salute.

"Yes, sir!" Lee responded.

Guy disappeared in a flash of smoke, and the tortoise vanished right after.

"Hey, Sasuke," Lee spoke up. "Actually, I have not been totally honest with you. I said I wanted to test my skills and that is true enough, but you are not really the one I wanted to test them against. I lied to you when we were fighting before. I told you I am the best genin here but there is another top ninja, someone on my own team. I came here to defeat him. You were just practice. Now you are a target. I will crush you!"

Sasuke scowled.

"There you have it," Lee continued. "Consider yourself warned!" He leaped up onto the onto the higher floor and sped away.

Sasuke's hand clenched into a fist, and he was shaking with rage.

"Oh, Sasuke," Sakura sympathized.

"Mm, how about that," Naruto taunted. "Looks like the Uchihas aren't as great as everybody thinks they are."

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted.

"Just shut up!" Sasuke shouted.

"Excuse me a minute." Naoko had been holding herself back, intending to leave Naruto alive for the exams... but plans could always change.

"Ow! Ow, hey Naoko, cut it out!"

Sasuke meanwhile turned away, still feeling the bitter taste of defeat. His face was determined however, and Naoko knew that the Uchiha hadn't been broken. The fight had only made him stronger.

"Fine! Hn!" Sasuke's fist clenched and unclenched. "This thing's starting to get interesting," he said, spite filling his words. "The chunin exams. Can't wait to see what happens next."

"Right!" Naruto agreed, rubbing a black eye and glancing ruefully at Naoko.

"We're dead," Naoko sighed.

"Let's get started!" Sasuke led the way through the door, and to the chunin exams.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

**Shisui: "Your character is very... violent."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Shisui, would you stop criticizing my characters!"**

**Shisui: "You probably spelled that wrong."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Augh!"**

**Satoru: "Review please."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Because the writer won't update otherwise!"**

**Shisui: "It's come to that?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Yeah, I've got too many popular stories on the list. It's a first review, first update basis."**

**Shisui: "REVIEEW!"**

**Satoru: "We can hear, you know."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Yeah, fishhead, deaf readers don't make for very nice reviews."**

**Shisui: "I wanna live!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Oh, boy."**

**Nathaniel: "Turning off the computer now."**

**Shisui: "Years of academy training, wasted!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Shisui, stop copying Buzz Lightgear!"**


	17. The Trouble With Chihuas

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Is sick of writing commentary for sixteen chapters in a row."**

**Shisui: (Sings) "I'll have a blue Christmas, without yoooou."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Dude! This is an epic drama! Not a musical!"**

**Shisui: "I add **_**va-ri-e-ty**_**. People love it!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Just because people love **_**it**_** doesn't mean they particularely love **_**you.**_**"**

**Shisui: "That is harsh."**

**Nathaniel: "All right, knock it off, you two. ATG doesn't own anything."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Except Ryuu!"**

**Shisui: "Technically that's an invalid claim."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Nobody asked you, now roll film!"**

**Nathaniel: "Review."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Roll film!"**

**. . .. . . .. . . .. .**

"Glad you came, Sakura," Kakashi said as the four genin stood outside room 301. "For your sake _and_ the others."

"Huh?" the squad chorused.

"Now," Kakashi said, "You can all formally register for the chunin exam."

"Why, what do you mean?" Sakura questioned.

"You see, only groups of three - or four in this case - are allowed to apply for and take the exam," Kakashi explained. "That's the way it's always been."

"But sensei," Sakura said, "You said the decision to take the exam was up to the individual."

"That's right," Kakashi answered. "I did."

"Was that a lie?" Sakura asked.

"Sort of," Kakashi shrugged slightly. "It is an individual's decision, but it effects all the team. I didn't want to tell you before because I didn't want the others pressuring you. At the same time, I didn't want you to feel obliged to participate because of any feelings you might have for Sasuke or Naruto. I wanted you to come to a decision of your own free will."

"Wait, you mean that if the others had showed up but I decided not to come with them - "

"It would have been the end of the line," Kakashi finished for Sakura. "If you hadn't come along, I wouldn't have been able to let the others in. But it's a mute point. You're all here and for the right reasons. Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, and Naoko. I'm proud of you. Couldn't ask for a better team." He stepped away from the double doors. "Good luck."

"We won't let you down, sensei!" Naruto exclaimed. "Believe it!"

Kakashi moved aside, and they slowly entered the room.

"Wh-what's this?" Naruto cried as the doors were closed behind them.

"Yikes, I guess we're not alone!" Sakura added. "Oh, man. I never thought there'd be so much competition!"

Naoko put up a cool front as she faced the room, but inwardly she was filled with trepidation. There were genin from all over, many being at least sixteen or older. They all looked angry, and the air was crackling with tension.

"Sasuke, where have you been!" an unnaturally high squeak echoed as a blond haired tornado jumped onto the Uchiha's back.

Sasuke glared daggers at the Ino as the girl continued to jabber.

"Boy you have no idea how much I was hoping you'd show up here," Ino chattered. "I've missed those groovy good looks of yours!"

"Ino, I'm holding an ink bottle."

One simple threat from Naoko to the blonde's hair and it was amazing how fast Ino could move!

"Hey porker," Sakura shouted, unintentionally shoving Naoko aside as she ran up to Ino. "Back off, he's mine!"

"They let you in?" Ino said as she moved well out of Naoko's arm reach. "Still got those big frown lines on your billboard brow I see."

"Leave my forehead out of it!" Sakura shot back.

Ino stuck her tongue out.

"Oh, it's you guys," Shikamaru spoke up. "I knew this was going to be a drag, but I didn't know it was going to be this lame."

"So all three stooges are here," Naruto replied.

"Hey, you know what, pipsqueak?" Shikamaru started. "Aw, forget it. You're a waste of time!"

"Well, well, what do you know," a familiar voice piped up as Kiba and his team entered the scene. "Looks like the whole gang's back together again."

"Uh... hi, Naruto," Hinata said shyly.

Naoko grinned at seeing her friend and nudged Naruto. "Say hi back!" she hissed in his ear.

"Uh... hi...?" Naruto said lamely.

Hinata blushed and hid in her coat collar, but Naoko could see that she was thrilled.

"Here we all are, the nine rookies!" Kiba laughed. "This is going to be fun! At least, for those of us good enough to make the cut. Right, Sasuke?"

"Kiba. Careful you don't get overconfident," Sasuke said coolly.

"Just wait," Kiba responded. "We're gonna blow you guys away! We've been training like crazy!"

"What do you think we've been doing?" Naruto asked. "Sittin' around, picking daisies? You don't know what training means!"

_Actually, picking daises might be the right description, looking back to the gardening episode._

"Uh, don't mind Kiba," Hinata said in her soft voice. "I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it."

"Huh?" Naruto said.

Hinata blushed and looked down.

Naoko's phone buzzed just then, and she took a quick glance at it.

**Dde, its fshhed. gtta tk to u, mt me Ltr k?**

Naoko shook her head and punched a message back. **Whatev. Ichikaru's?**

**Ya whn u opn?**

**Later.**

**Dde tht's not n answr!**

"Hey, you guys!" a voice broke in.

Naoko looked up from her messaging to see a tall ninja with glasses and gray hair tied back in a ponytail walk up. "You might want to try keeping it down a little. I mean, no offense, but you're the nine rookies right? Fresh out of the academy?"

"What's it to you?" Naoko challenged.

The ninja looked at her. "It doesn't hurt me any, but if I were you I wouldn't go making a spectacle out of yourselves. Just cool it. This isn't a class _field trip_."

"Well who asked you!" Ino demanded. "Who_ are _you?"

"I'm Kabuto Yakushi," the ninja replied. "But really. Look around you. You've made quite an impression."

Every single ninja in the room was glaring at them.

_And these are all __**genin**__? _Naoko noticed absently that nearly all of them had dark hair. _Not much variety, is there?_

"See those guys?" Kabuto pointed out the ones with several slash marks on their forehead guards. "They're from the rain village, very touchy! They all are. This exam makes everyone tense. And you don't want to rub them the wrong way right now." He looked down and smiled. "You can't help it. I mean, how could you know how things work here? You're just rookies."

"_Just_ rookies? You gotta be kidding me! Hey, while you're handling the introductions though, mind letting us in on the info?"

The others looked around to see a group of six ninjas watching them. They all wore black cloth forehead guards with the symbol of a lotus flower against crossed swords. Kabuto looked up, eyes narrowed in thought.

"You're the Chihua rookies, aren't you?" he asked.

One of them, a boy about Rock Lee's age with a long ponytail and dark bangs falling into his obsidian eyes spoke up. "Looks like it. I'm Ryuu."

"Kabuto Yakushi," the gray haired ninja responded politely.

Ryuu smirked. "Pleasure. Maybe." He looked at the others, his gaze lingering on the boys of the three teams. Looking around, Naoko understood why. The competition had just upped a notch. These were rookies from another village, and she could tell by the looks on the faces around her that there was no way any of the Konoha rookies intended to let the Chihua squads pass the exams ahead of them, and vice versa.

"Oh, great," she sighed. "We're doomed."

Ryuu flashed an arrogant smile, his daring atmosphere set off by his light gray turtleneck, dark pants, black boots, and the long sword across his back. "Looks like it. Allow me to introduce you to my squad," he gestured towards the ninjas behind him.

He waved his hand towards the boy wearing a typical long sleeved white shirt and white pants. He too had obsidian eyes and his straight dark hair reached down to his shoulders. "This is Masahiko, though we just call him 'Masa' for short. He's quiet, but don't bug him." Masa nodded and flipped his hair out of his eyes.

Ryuu indicated next to the girl on his right. She was as petite and delicate as a flower petal, and was even prettier than Ino. She could almost have been Ryuu's sister, as she had the same hair and full bangs. Her eyes however, were a delicate shade of pink, matching her light pink kimono. "This is Aika, but we call her Flower Chan," Ryuu announced proudly.

Several wolf whistles were heard all around the room, and Kiba immediately made his introduction.

"So, you're new here, right?" he asked as he walked up to the girl. "Allow me to - "

"Hey cut it out!" Ryuu shouted as he stood in between the two. "She's claimed already!"

At once Masa and one of the other Chihua boys joined him, and Aika giggled softly as the three boys glared daggers at each other.

Naoko couldn't help a little grin. _Jealousy among the teammates. This is going to be fun._

"Mind introducing the others of your team now?" Sasuke asked in his typical annoyed tone. Aiki grinned and flushed as she saw the Uchiha, but she respectfully stepped back and allowed Ryuu to continue.

"Ahem," Ryuu cleared his throat as he tried to pin down Sasuke with his glare. "This," he pointed to one of they boys with light blue hair and eyes and a matching cloak over his sky blue and dark purple outfit. "This is Takumi. He doesn't do much."

Naoko rolled her eyes. _Wow. They all are just __**so**__ nice to each other, no matter what age!_

"_That_ over there is Raiden." Ryuu grimaced but Ryuu grinned at them all, winking at Ino and Sakura. He had slightly long black hair pulled back and tied into a group of fancy braids stemming from a single small loop of hair at the top. His plain black outfit set off his flawless teeth and flashing dark eyes, which immediately sent Ino into a squealing fit.

Ryuu rolled his eyes. "And last but not least, this is Etsuko, though sometimes we like to call her Mari." The girl was tall, with hair identical to Masa's. She had one blue eye and one black, and was clad in a simple sleeveless black tunic and pants and had a pair of crossed swords at her back, as well as a longer thin sword at her side. She had more kunai pouches and knife sheaths than Naoko had ever seen on a single ninja, and she regarded them with a scowl on her face.

"And no, they're not siblings," Ryuu added as he nodded towards Masa.

"Interesting," Kabuto said. "Have you ever heard of the exams? I don't recall ever hearing of your clan being a part of this."

Ryuu shrugged nonchalantly. "Aw, who cares. It's not like they're such a big deal and all!" His dark gaze flickered to Sasuke, and he growled slightly.

Naoko grinned. New rookies and the competition was already underway. She was surprised though at the age diversity. Etsuko looked to be about Kabuto's age, while Ryuu and Takumi were as old as Rock Lee. The others couldn't have been much older than her classmates, and yet they were all placed with an older squad member. Naoko was just about to question this when Sakura spoke up.

"Kabuto? Is that your name?"

"Yeah," he answered.

Sakura continued. "This isn't the first time you've taken the exam?"

"No it's... my seventh," Kabuto admitted.

Naoko's brow furrowed and there were gasps from the other genin, including some of the Chihuas.

"Well, they're held twice a year," Kabuto explained. "So this will be my fourth year."

"Wow, a veteran!" Sakura exclaimed. "You must really be an expert by now."

"Yeah, sort of," Kabuto answered.

"Cool!" Naruto shouted. "You can give us all this inside tips!"

"Yeah, some expert," Shikamaru snorted. "He's never passed."

"Well seventh time's the charm, that's what they say, huh?" Kabuto answered nervously.

Naoko smiled. She decided she liked this guy. _I wish I had time to study all their chakra readings, but there's just way too many to work with! _Besides, she didn't want to reveal her spinning sharingan just yet.

"So all those rumors about the exam being hard are true?" Aika asked in a melodious tone.

"Ah, don't worry, Aika!" Kiba bragged. "I'll take care of you."

"Hold it, buster!" Raiden shouted. "She's on _**my**_ team!"

"She's not on your team, she's with me!" Ryuu yelled back.

"Then I'm switching teams!" Raiden announced, still shouting.

"You're not going anywhere near her!" Ryuu shot back. "Hey - hey get back over here Masa!"

Masa had started to sneak away during the fight, and was yanked back by a suspicious Ryuu who didn't want any chances of losing _his _girl.

Naoko had to laugh at the general idiocy of the squad boys as they fought over Aika like the girls did over Sasuke.

"So, are they really that bad?" Aika asked again as she appeared from behind Kabuto and shyly signaling to Naoko that she wanted to stand next to her and Sasuke.

Naoko raised an eyebrow but allowed the girl to come over. The Chihua boys meanwhile were still arguing.

"Hang on," Kabuto reassured her and the others around. "Don't give up hope yet. Maybe I can help you kids out a little..." He reached into a pouch at his side and pulled out something. "... With my ninja info cards."

"What are those?" Sakura asked.

The boys finally stopped their arguing for the time being and Ryuu angrily marched up and shoved Sasuke out of the way. The boys glared daggers at each other and it looked like a fight was about to start before Naoko finally grabbed a surprised Ryuu's arm and marched him to the other side of Aiki. Raiden and Masa hovered close by until Etsuko came and pulled Raiden back to his own squad.

Kabuto watched the drama unfold then turned his attention back to Sakura. "It's hard to explain," he answered. "But these cards have been chakra encoded with everything I've learned over the past four years." He knelt down and placed the cards on the floor. "I've got over two hundred of them. So you see, I haven't been completely wasting my time." He picked one up. "They may not look like much to the naked eye," Kabuto explained. "In fact, they appear blank. Don't want just anyone seeing this stuff." He put his finger in the middle of the card, and the teams crowded around to watch.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked as the card began to spin under Kabuto's finger.

"You see," Kabuto explained, "I'm using my chakra to reveal their secrets. Like this for example." He made a chakra symbol and there was a poof from the card under his finger. The card now held a picture of a map of the five ninja regions.

"You mean you can hide stuff with chakra signatures?" Raiden asked. "Cool!"

"What's the map of?" Masa questioned, studying it intently.

"It shows the geographical distribution of all the candidates who have come to take the chunin exam," Kabuto answered. "It shows what villages they come from, and how many from each village. You guys aren't on there yet, because your village isn't recorded in the data books of Konoha." He looked up at the others. "Why do you guys think they all come here to take the exam together, at the same time?"

Naoko shrugged. No one else seemed to know either.

"So that Konoha can keep track of the ninjas in the surrounding area?" Etsuko suggested.

Something clicked in Naoko's brain, another clue her spinning sharingan was trying to show her.

Kabuto looked up, surprised. "Why yes, that actually is a reason. Of course, they don't exactly say that. The usual idea is so that it can foster friendship between nations. International brotherhood and all that. And it's true enough, as far as it goes. But you see, the important thing is that this way they can carefully regulate the total number of shinobi that end up in each village, thereby maintaining the balance of power."

"Uh, yeah, balance of power..." Naruto pretended to know what was going on.

"Balance of power big deal," Shikamaru griped. "What a drag."

"Y'know, you're really starting to get on my nerves here!" Ryuu shouted.

Naoko stared at the card, a phrase niggling at her mind. _Balance of power. What does that have to do with everything?_

Kabuto put a hand over the card and the image disappeared. "If the balance isn't maintained, one nation could wind up with many more shinobi than it's neighbors, and it might be tempted to attack them. So, they try to maintain the status quo. It makes sense. I suppose."

Another tug from her sharingan. What was it trying to piece together here?

"Do those cards of yours have any info on the other candidates?" Sasuke asked. "Individually?"

"They might," Kabuto answered. "You have someone special in mind?"

"I might," Sasuke's gaze darkened.

"Well, I can't promise my information is complete or perfect," Kabuto said as he stacked his cards. "But there's something on just about everyone. Including you guys of course!"

"Even us?" Ryuu asked, his gaze fixed hungrily on the cards.

"Actually, I don't have anything on the Chihuas," Kabuto answered. "Yet." He turned back to Sasuke. "So, which one is it? Anything you know about them, their description, where they're from, whatever. Anything at all."

"He's Gaara of the desert," Sasuke said, his voice low and controlled. "And there's Rock Lee of the leaf village while you're at it."

"Man, that's no fun," Kabuto complained. "You even know their names! That makes it easy." He swiped his hand across the deck and pulled out two cards. "Here they are."

"Show them to me."

Naoko shuddered slightly at the tone in Sasuke's voice. She had rarely witnessed this cold attitude towards those who were stronger than he was, and it frightened her.

Kabuto placed one of the cards down. "Okay, first up is Rock Lee. Looks like he's a year older than you guys. Mission experience eleven C rank and twenty D ranks. His squad leader is Guy. In the last twelve months his taijutsu has radically improved. His other skills are pretty shaky. Last year he got a lot of attention as a genin, but for some reason he chose not to participate in the chunin exam. This will be his first time as a candidate, same as you guys. His teammates are Tenten and Neji Hyuga."

"Huh? Hyuga?" Naruto muttered.

"Now for Gaara of the desert," Kabuto continued as he activated the chakra sealed card. "Mission experience eight C rank and... get this one B rank as a genin! There's not a lot more information on this guy. He was a rookie from another land, originally. But there is this; he survived every mission without getting a scratch on him."

Naoko's brow furrowed. _That's... creepy. Either that kid is really good, or something is really wrong here._

"The dude's done a B rank as a genin?" Shikamaru said in disbelief. "And has never even been injured?"

Raiden nudged Ryuu and grinned. "Looks like you've got a lot to catch up on, _captain_. Last I heard you didn't even have a D rank - "

"Oh, shut up!" Ryuu scowled and knocked his rival backwards.

"What's the deal with this guy?" Naruto asked, referring to Gaara.

Kabuto pulled out another card and activated its chakra sequence, revealing another map. "Leaf, sand, rain, grass, waterfall, sound, from the looks of it they've all sent exceptionally skilled candidates to the exam this time around."

"So..." Aika turned to Ryuu. "This is supposed to be _easy_?"

"Uhh, yep!" he replied confidently. "We'll knock 'em off."

"Right," Naoko said sarcastically. "As far as I've heard you guys haven't even been enrolled in the exams before - ever!"

"Trust me," Ryuu whispered in her ear. "I know what I'm doing."

Naoko rolled her eyes.

"There's more," Kabuto added. "The hidden sound village. It's small, and it sprang up recently. No one knows anything about it. Those guys are a mystery. Better watch out for those guys." He put his cards back. "Well, you get the point. The competition's going to be _intense_ this year."

_Nice. I like the idea_.

"So it would seem," Hinata said in a small voice. "It's almost enough to make you lose your confidence."

"It's a fine time to start talking like that!" Ino berated the girl.

"Hey, knock it off, blondie," the blue haired Chihua, Takumi, spoke for the first time. He turned to Hinata. "Relax, it'll be fine. Just work at it one genin at a time and you won't have any trouble." He smiled softly, then blended into the crowd again.

"Huh." Ryuu's eyes narrowed.

"Do you really think it's going to be tougher this time?" Sakura asked Kabuto.

"Oh, yeah," he answered. "In fact, in the four years I've been coming, I've never seen a crop of candidates with as much potential as this bunch. Yep, we've got our work cut out for us."

_And if Rock Lee, who is only a year older than us, was able to beat Sasuke... This might be a little deadly after all. _Naoko was suddenly beginning to feel _very_ nervous. She looked at her teammates. Naruto was shaking (though knowing the genin he probably was about to go madly insane rather than scream in fright), and Sakura was looking a little anxious as well. Sasuke looked like he always did - cool, composed, and ready to face whatever came his way.

"Hey, don't worry Naruto, we'll be fine." Sakura appeared to have taken it upon herself to "cheer up" her teammate. Little did she know the many moods of Naruto did not often include falling apart.

"UAAAh!" Naruto stabbed his index finger in the air. "My name is Naruto Uzamaki, and I'm gonna beat every one of you! Believe it!"

_We're doomed._

"Who dumped caffeine in his cereal this morning?" Ryuu and the other were watching skeptically, but Naoko caught Aika give Naruto a sly wink. Etsuko on the other hand didn't even blink. She seemed bored by the whole event.

"Hey! What's that idiot trying to do, get us killed?" Ino screamed at Sakura. "Tell your boyfriend to keep his mouth shut!"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Sakura shouted back.

"Oh, I forgot! You can't get one!"

"Do they never shut up?" Ryuu moaned as he put a hand over his eyes.

"Don't worry, they will," Raiden smirked. He ran over and swung Sakura around, then planted a kiss right on the surprised Haruno's lips.

Ino went into hysterics.

Naoko's jaw dropped in shock, and she was positive she was dreaming when Sasuke hit the Chihua over the head and glared at him.

"Keep your hands off my teammates," he said sharply.

"AAAh! What are you doing!" Naruto started to yell. Shikamaru and Ryuu were hard kept to hold him back as he attempted to attack Raiden and defend his beloved Sakura.

Sakura blushed deeply, but looked secretly pleased at the attention.

"You did not just do that!" Naoko said, looking from Sakura to Raiden and back.

Raiden gave Sakura a deep bow. "My apologies, M'lady. I did not mean any harm." He gave her a wink and returned to his team. Sasuke glared at his back and grabbed Naruto's collar as the blond ninja tried racing after Raiden.

Ino was still screaming, and with a growl of frustration Naoko slapped a book shut in front of her mouth, ceasing the noise temporarily.

By now everyone in the room was staring at them.

Sakura and Naruto had begun arguing again when Naoko's sharingan caught a flash of movement across the room. She looked up in time to see one of the genin from another village leaping out, throwing several kunai knives at Kabuto!

The gray haired veteran leaped back just in time, and then ducked backwards again as a second ninja appeared and tried to punch his face. The blow missed, but its effects were not countered. Kabuto's glasses suddenly pieced apart and shattered.

"Oh, I get it," Kabuto said, taking off the broken frames. "So it's that kind of attack?"

"Hang on, I saw it all," Sasuke stepped up. "He dodged the attack. How did that happen?"

"It must have been closer than it looked," Shikamaru commented. "Pshaw! Look at him acting like it was nothing! Real tough guy."

_No, not tough, but very smart._ Naoko tilted her head to the side, curious. Sasuke was right. The blow hadn't even come close. _So why did it hit him?_

Kabuto suddenly gasped and fell to his knees, shaking and looking like he was about to be sick.

"What? Did he just - " Naruto started.

"Kabuto, what's wrong? What is it?" Sakura asked.

One of the sound ninjas who had attacked began to laugh as Kabuto coughed and spluttered.

"Hey, Kabuto," Naruto ran over.

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked as she and Naoko joined him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kabuto said, though he didn't sound like it.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked.

"Not such a tough guy after all, I guess," one of the sound ninjas, who was wearing something like a fur coat said. "Maybe that's why he's on his seventh try."

_So help me if we weren't in danger of getting dropped out of the exams I would be taking you on right now! _Naoko growled as she checked Kabuto's eyes and pulse for signs of a concussion. _Remind me to thank Shisui for having me read those medical books._

"Write this on your little card," another of the sound ninjas said. "The genin from the sound village will be chunin when this is over. Guaranteed."

"You guys couldn't take on a pollywog," Naoko mumbled.

"What was that?" the ninja in the fur coat asked dangerously.

"All right you baby faced degenerates, pipe down and listen up!" A wreath of smoke erupted at the front of the room and a group of jounin appeared.

"Ooh, tough guy," Ryuu muttered.

"Not bad for the insults," Raiden agreed. "But I could do better."

"Hush!" Etsuko hissed.

One of the jounin, a tall man with two long scars across his face, spoke up. "It's time to begin. I am Ibiki Morino, your proctor, and from this moment, your worst enemy."

"This does not bode well," Takumi said softly.

_Hm. He's right. This can't be good. But then again... who knows. I might have fun with it._

"First," Ibiki stated, "You candidates from the village hidden in the sound. Knock it off! Who told you you could fight? You want to be failed before we've even begun?"

"Sorry," the ninja with the fur cape said insincerely, "this is our first time. Guess we're a little jumpy. Sir."

Ibiki gave him a skeptical look, then addressed the others in the room. "Hm. I'll say this once so listen up! There will be no combat between candidates! No attacking each other without the permission of your proctor! And even then, the use of fatal force is strictly prohibited! Anyone who even thinks of messing with me will be disqualified immediately. Got it?"

Raiden gulped. "Yeah, he's pretty scary," he said in a hoarse whisper.

Ibiki continued. "Now, if we're ready, we'll proceed to the first stage of the chunin exam. Hand over your paperwork. In return you'll each be given a number. This number determines where you will sit. We'll start the written test once you are all seated."

"Th- the what?" Naruto stammered. "Did he say... written?"

Naoko groaned and put a hand over her eyes. _We're doomed._

One of the jounin held up a large stack of papers.

"NOOOOOO!" Naruto started screaming in panic. "NOT A WRITTEN TEST! NO WAAAY!"

_Definitely done for._

.. ... .. .. ... .. ... .. ... ... .

**Nathaniel: "Taking over the commentary for ATG since she's tired of writing."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I have three modes; my writing mode when I'm excited, my duty mode when I know I need to update a chapter, and my blah mode when I ignore life. This is my blah mode."**

**Nathaiel: "You're supposed to be **_**silent**_**."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Blah."**

**Shisui: (Sings) "Review!"**

**Nathaniel: "Shisui! Get off the stage!"**

**Shisui: "But the show is over!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: (Moans) "Would you two **_**both **_**get out."**

**Nathaniel: "Review."**


	18. The Written Exam

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I can't believe I argue with my characters for a life."**

**Nathaniel: "You'll get over it."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I sense there is a purpose to my writing existence. With Shisui around, though, I am beginning to doubt that."**

**Shisui: "It's raining! And ATG is updating! And I want to be in the chapter!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "See what I mean?"**

**Ryuu: "Remember, you still have 450 manga chapters to go."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I'm doomed!"**

**Nathaniel: "Review so that ATG continues to update."**

**Shisui: "NO! She can't stop! I'll be lost in the watery grave for the rest of my life!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Does not own anything."**

**Shisui: "Hello! I was talking to you!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Roll film."**

**Shisui: "Is it just me, or does no one care for my life?"**

**Nathaniel: "Nobody cares."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Don't make Shisui cry. It'll make the reviewers mad at me."**

**Shisui: (Sniff)**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Now you've done it. Roll film."**

**Shisui: "Does anyone have a tissue?"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Roll film!"**

**... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ...**

It took long enough for everyone to be seated. It seemed several of the ninjas in the room had already fallen in love with Aika Chihua, as there were a number of groans when she was finally placed next to a very triumphant looking Kiba. Naoko had been placed in the very back between Ryuu and a random ninja from the grass village. As she looked around she saw that a very sick looking Naruto was sitting between a likewise random ninja and Hinata, with Takumi sitting behind him. Sasuke had been put between Raiden and an empty seat, Sakura was sitting between two unknown ninjas, and Kabuto had been placed next to Etsuko.

_This is going to be tough - especially on Naruto! Poor guy looks like he's ready to faint he's so scared!_

Naoko grinned though when Hinata spoke up and wished Naruto luck on the test. _Good for you, Hinata. Not like it will convince him of his chances of passing, but at least you got his attention._ Naoko shook her head. Naruto could be so _clueless _at times!

Just then the Proctor hit a piece of chalk against the board. "Eyes front. There are a few rules you need to be aware of. And I won't answer any questions, so you'd better pay attention the first time around."

"Hey! Hey, person in charge, wait up a moment!"

All eyes turned to the back as the door opened and a breathless group of three genin raced in. A tall man with spiky black hair, an eye patch, and a gray mask over his face, (whom Naoko assumed to be the sensei), shook his head ruefully as he shut the door behind them.

"Sorry we're late," the boy in the team spoke up as he tried to catch his breath. He had _**long**_ black hair (halfway to his waist) that was pulled up in a high ponytail supported by some sort of gold and jeweled ornamentation. He wore a sleeveless vest style shirt, black pants, black knee-high boots, and a mask over the lower half of his face. His forehead guard was tied just above his right knee, and his obsidian eyes glittered below dark short bangs as he looked around.

"You're lucky to be making it at all!" Spiky Head began to berate them. "You were given clear instructions when to arrive for the exams!"

"Relax," Ibiki said, surprisingly calm. "They're Chihua. It's not like anything _better_ should be expected out of them."

One of the girls, a tallish dark haired semi-beauty with the longest ponytails Naoko had ever seen, bristled at the comment. She wore a costume identical to the boy's - minus the mask - and Naoko wondered if they were twins. Raven wing eyes regarded the proctor dangerously as the girl took a defensive stance.

Ibiki stared right back at her, not even twitching an eyebrow.

"I suppose the three class disturbances should give their names before they're kicked out of the exams," he said darkly.

The boy gave Ibiki a cold glance. "Katsuro." He said nothing more.

Ibiki raised an eyebrow. "Next."

The girl with the two ponytails took a stance. "I am Chinatsu. Remember it!"

Ibiki looked bored.

Chinatsu nudged the other girl on the team to speak.

She was short, even smaller than Hinata. Her light blue hair was interlaced with black and she had two braids that wound along the sides of her head and disappeared into the rest of her unbound hair. Her eyes were pale robin's egg blue in color, and she wore a light blue kimono that was embroidered with black flowers sketches and random designs. Naoko suspected she and Takumi were related.

"I... my name is Tsukiko," the girl said in a small voice that could rival Hinata for shyness.

"Hm." Ibiki glared at the three of them. "You three have already lost a total of three points from each of your tests for lateness!"

"What! But you can't do that - !" Katsuro stomped on Chinatsu's foot as she began to protest.

"You will remember that you are a genin, and it is my ruling that depends on whether or not you pass these exams," Ibiki threatened. "Now you will do as you have been ordered, or I shall send you back now before you cause anymore trouble!"

Katsuro bowed low at the waist. "Sir."

Tsukiko silently followed suit, and Chinatsu managed a half bow before her pride took over.

Ibiki glared at the three. "Sit down."

He handed the Chihua team three random numbers and went back to the board. "All right, rule number one is this: the written part of the exam is conducted by a point reduction system. Contrary to what some of you may be used to, you all begin with a perfect score of ten points."

Naoko watched Tsukiko take her seat. The blue haired girl was flushing in mortification at the previous discussion, and she stumbled into a seat next to the red head indicated in Kabuto's card. There she put her head in her arms, trying to hide from the world.

_Funny - is that the guy next to her the one I saw on the streets earlier? So Gaara's his name, huh?_

Chinatsu was sitting next to Ino, and Katsuro had been placed next to Sasuke, who was looking most annoyed at the situation.

_Oh, great. __**Two**__ Chihua rookies. And I thought Sasuke was going to have enough ego problems with one of them around._

The chalk continued to clack against the board as Ibiki paused. "One point will be deducted for each answer you get wrong. So if you miss three, your final score will be seven. Rule number two: Teams will pass or fail based on the scores of all three members."

Naoko stared at the proctor in shock. _We are SO dead! _She heard Sakura slam her head on the desk and knew the pink haired genin was thinking the same thing. _Naruto!_

"What! Wait a second!" Sakura exclaimed. "You mean we all get scored.. as a team?"

"Silence!" Ibiki shouted. "I have my reasons. So shut up and listen! Rule number three: The sentials you see positioned around the room are there to watch you carefully for any signs of cheating. And for every incident they spot, they will subtract two points from the culprit's score. Be warned. Their eyes are extremely sharp, and if they catch you five times you'll be dismissed before the tests are even scored. Anyone fool enough to be caught cheating by the sentinels doesn't deserve to be here."

"I've got my eye on you guys," Spiky Hair threatened.

_I really need to learn the names of my senseis. This is getting ridiculous!_

"If you want to be considered shinobi," Ibiki continued. "Then show us what exceptional shinobi you can be. One more thing, if any candidate should get a zero and fail the test, then the entire team fails."

"NOOOOO!" Naoko let her head thunk onto the table as she ground her fist into the woodwork. _We. Are. So. DEAD!_

"Hey, it's not that bad," Ryuu told her softly. "Wait till he's done and I'll explain."

"The final question won't be given out until fifteen minutes before the end of the testing period," Ibiki said. "You'll have one hour total. Begin!"

Faces were grim and pencils were gripped tightly in sweaty hands as the genin began.

"Hey! Hey, kid!"

Annoyed at being called a kid, Naoko shot Ryuu a dark glare, but he merely pointed with his pencil to the writing on the back of his paper.

_The test is designed to see how well you cheat. Look and the questions and the jounin keeping an eye out. They want you to be able to cheat and get away with it. Follow my lead and don't do anything stupid._

Hurriedly Naoko scribbled her own note. _But why the pressure about points?_

_To make you feel you have to cheat. They have some more advanced ninja in here. There's two at the front. My team will find ways to get the information and pass it on to the rest of you._

Naoko was suspicious. _Why are you helping us?_

Ryuu grinned. _It's that Uzamaki. Can't stand him! I'm going to fight him but your team has to pass first. Gotta go now - they're watching._

He returned to his paper as though nothing had happened. Naoko took a peek around and saw Spiky Head watching her. He marked a notch on his paper.

_Blast! First two minutes in and I've already been hit! I'm going to have to be careful. No more talking to Ryuu! _Naoko wondered if Ryuu had been talking to her just to get her knocked off, but she realized he was putting himself in as much danger as well. As she looked at the test questions, she began to believe him even more.

_These are complicated! It'll be a wonder if Sakura can get these! _Naoko chewed on her lip and thought about it. _So, it appears the only thing I can do is cheat. Then if Ryuu is right, and there's an advanced ninja near the front, then other will be cheating off that one as well. All I have to do is wait for someone close to me to get it, then I can read it with my sharingan. _Naoko hadn't wanted to reveal her spinning sharingan yet, but at the moment it seemed the only possible way of getting past this test.

_Well, seeing as I can't start anything yet, might as well see how the others are doing..._

...

Katsuro looked around slightly, analyzing his position. _Never make a move until you know the terrain._

So, this was the great Sasuke Uchiha, the legendary last member of his clan. Katsuro couldn't see anything great about him. The kid wasn't any older than he was, and he had an uncanny resemblance to someone Katsuro knew all too well.

_Hm. So much for Uchiha pride. This kid can't even cheat._

True enough, Sasuke wasn't even trying as far as Katsuro could tell.

Satoru Sensei had warned them ahead of time about the requirements for the test. Of course, a quick hint thrown out by a sensei while one is racing to get to the exams in three minutes is not always the most helpful method of easing one's fears, but Katsuro decided to take the plan and run with it. He was always that way. To take advantage of a situation was the key to winning any war - or test in this case.

_So... ancient projectory... math problems... hey this isn't too bad._

He didn't even have to cheat as he started, and Katsuro couldn't help a little grin as he filled out the first problem.

...

Raiden sulked. He couldn't fill out one stinkin' blank, and it was maddening. He leaned on one hand and balanced his pencil on his index finger using the other.

_This is... humiliating. As soon as I get home Eri will be telling me all the answers, and she's only seven! Seriously, someone needs to put that kid in the ANBU cops._

Which would sadly be impossible, considering the last time something like that had happened, but one could dream.

Ryuu sighed again and let his mind wander as he stared at the pencil balancing on his finger.

_Sasuke is... definitely a no. I will NOT let myself fall to such a low degree as cheating off that idiot! Flower Chan is... halfway across the room. Etsuko... no help. She'd sooner shrivel me with a glance than give me the answers. Katsuro though... _

Raiden grinned and flipped his palm up, instantly summoning a semi-large jade and ruby beetle to his palm.

_Time to do all the dirty work, little guy._

The beetle twitched its hind legs before disappearing and reappearing on Katsuro's hair ornament. It continued to twitch its hind legs as it stored the data from Katsuro's test.

Raiden held his palm flat again and the beetle reappeared in it. He set it on his paper and put his head down as though falling asleep. Below him the beetle began clicking its way across his paper, using its six legs to sear Katsuro's answers onto Raiden's test.

When it finished Raiden let it vanish again. He set about scribbling as though he was writing everything out. The beetle's sear marks looked exactly like they had been written down in simple ink. Everything had gone perfectly.

Raiden smiled. _At least one Chihua's not failing this test._

...

Aika didn't even shudder in fear of failing the exam. As soon as she figured the chunin in the room had written enough answers, she closed her eyes and activated her chakra.

Those who were watching for cheaters gazed in confusion as two of the windows suddenly were blown open by a blast of wind. A gentler breeze came through, sending in a whirl of cherry blossoms. They swirled around the room, blowing past each genin and finally retreating out the window. The shutters closed and silence once again filled the room. No one had been able to pinpoint the chakra to any one person.

Aika smiled. Her chakra level was very small, its flora powers being the sole base of her nickname, Flower Chan. This time though, it was enough. She began to write.

...

Etsuko glared at Kabuto, who gave her an equally chilling glance. The two were already enemies, and had angled their papers to prevent any possible cheating from the other. Of course, neither would go to such low extents as to _cheat_ off the other. How absurd!

Etsuko scribbled furiously, her distaste at the gray haired ninja rejuvenating with every angry stroke of the pencil. She saw that Kabuto was also writing fast, barely behind her despite his lack of glasses.

_Oh, no you don't! No pathetic, lazy excuse for a "konohian" gets ahead of me! Not when I've worked towards every part of it!_

Being a weapons master with little to no special chakra abilities, Etsuko prided herself in her extensive knowledge and simple yet deadly battle techniques. Now this annoying, bespectacled _Konohian_ was one on one with her!

_Who is he? I can't believe this would be his seventh time - he's too good for that! No, there's something far deeper going on here..._

Etsuko growled as her pencil lead grated into the paper. _I'm not losing to this dweeb!_

...

Chinatsu flipped an annoying ponytail back over her shoulder again and tucked her long straight bangs back behind her ears again. She was enjoying herself immensely.

_Chunin exams? Big deal! Katsuro and I learned this stuff years ago! Now if we just get enough right answers between us, we can probably make up for Tsukiko. Girl's probably fainted by now from nervousness. She was already sick three times before we got here!_

Chinatsu shook her head, her hair flipping around from the ponytail on each side of her head. Tsukiko would be lucky to make it past the first question.

_That girl's always keeping us behind. I don't know why she has to stick around anyways! Why did Satoru have to place her with us?_

Chinatsu's angry musing was disturbed as she felt someone plunge into her mind.

"_Hey!"_ she shouted as she felt her mental self being pushed into a corner.

_"Sorry, Chinatsu, but I'll be borrowing your body for a minute." _The other one in her mind, Chinatsu picked up the name Ino in her thought path, giggled wickedly and started scanning Chinatsu's paper.

_"What, no! Get out of here, you little freak!" _Chinatsu mentally kicked at Ino, bruising the girl's own mindset and causing her to break her concentration.

_"Hey, cut it out! I just need a few answers!"_

_"You're not getting them from me you compsagnathus!" _Chinatsu was now halfway in control of herself again, and was beginning to wonder if her body was reflecting the battle going on in her brain.

Mental Ino and Chinatsu glared at each other for a minute, each barraging the other's mind waves and memory sequences as they tried to gain control over one another.

Then Chinatsu giggled as one memory rose foremost to Ino's mind. _"You like Sasuke?"_

Ino scowled. _"What's that got to do with it, birdbrain?"_

Chinatsu giggled again, allowing a mental picture of Masa appear. _"Looks like we both have crushes on another team."_

Ino's scowl lifted, but she still frowned slightly. _"What's the big idea?"_

Chinatsu grinned. _"Well, we both have local hotties, and we both need to get past this exam to stick with them, right?"_

Ino gave a cheshire grin as she caught on. _"What do you say, partners in crime?"_

Chinatsu held out a mental hand. _"Indubitably."_

Ino shook it gladly, withdrawing from Chinatsu's mind.

Chinatsu gave a small start as she felt her head start to dip as though she were falling asleep. Ino peered up from where she had fallen across her desk and winked.

The two smirked at each other and Chinatsu carefully angled her paper so that Ino could copy off of it. They exchanged another wicked grin and went to work.

...

Tsukiko sat in her chair, knees knocking together and hands shaking. She didn't know why Satoru Sensei had put her in the exams. She told him she wasn't ready for it, but he insisted she needed to take them.

Tsukiko looked down and thought about how her whole team was depending on her.

_Why did Sensei have to pick me for the team? I'm so weak. I can't do written tests, I can't summon animals, I have almost no chakra ability whatsoever, I can't even figure out my own signature! _Her knees knocked harder together as her entire body shook in fear.

Tsukiko didn't realize she was making the entire table quiver however, until she heard a small sigh from the red haired boy sitting next to her.

"Here," he finally said with some slight exasperation. He moved his arm away and shoved his own exam closer to her. "Just copy it down and stop being so nervous."

Tsukiko looked up at him through wide, terrified eyes. He was offering her _his_ test? But he was on another team!

She looked over at the exam, then gave another questioning glance at the boy. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Well, do you want it?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

Tsukiko carefully put out a hand and drew the test over, watching to see if he would signal the jounin posted around the room. He just sat back in his chair though, looking rather bored and most annoyed at the situation.

Tsukiko quickly copied out a few answers, just enough to keep her team from getting disqualified. "Thank you... Gaara Sama" she said shakily, seeing his name at the top.

Something flitted across his face for a moment, an emotion that Tsukiko couldn't place. Was he angry? Irritated? Surprised?

Gaara silently took the test back, shooting a glare at her as she began shaking again.

"Would you stop that?"

Tsukiko's face burned with shame. She was annoying him again! Here he had tried to help her, even if just to give himself some quiet, and she was being a bother. She put her head down on her arms and tried not to cry. Why did she have to be here anyways? She was doing everything wrong!

Tsukiko heard another sigh from Gaara as he assessed the now very awkward situation.

"Hey, it's all right, okay?" he said in a slightly louder whisper. "Just forget it. You'll pass now, so don't worry anymore."

Tsukiko nodded and clenched her arms, trying to stop shaking. She wished she were home.

...

Ryuu kept a close eye on Aika. She would be able to get the answers easiest, and then it would only be a matter of time before she relayed them back to him.

There it was! A swirl of cherry blossoms, Aika's signature move. Ryuu watched until they disappeared and then waited for the signal. Finally Aika's hand moved to where she had tucked a large knitting needle in her ponytail. Acting as though adjusting her hair, she carefully manipulated it, activating a small camera that mirrored her answers and projected the reflection onto Ryuu's paper.

Ryuu grinned. This camera was special. It took the picture backwards, then allowed it to appear in the designated spot in regular format. All Ryuu had to do now was trace over the words now shadowed onto his exam.

_And they said this wasn't going to be easy!_

He looked over to Naoko, ready to give her the answers needed. She was looking ahead though, staring at the space between Etsuko and the weird guy with the glasses.

Ryuu looked questioningly between the two directions. _She already found a way to cheat? Or is she just dazing the time away?_

He was about to wave a hand in front of Naoko's face, then thought better of it. Best not to attract the guard's attention to himself. He'd wait for her to snap out of it, then give her the answers.

Ryuu smiled in eager anticipation. _Boy, I sure hope that Uzamaki passes. I've been waiting for this opportunity for months!_

...

For Masa, life was simple. Never show off your signature moves, never step into a fight if you can help it, never let Flower Chan out of your sight.

Due to the last part the first rule was about to be forgotten. Masa reached back behind his ear and gently stroked the small scaly head snoozing there.

"Shiroi," Masa cooed ever so softly.

A little white snake poked it's head up, smacking its mouth sleepily as it slid down from Masa's hairline into his sleeve.

"Hssssssssssssss," it said contentedly as it began to curl up for another nap.

Masa smiled. _"Not now," _he hissed back in his pet's native tongue. _"I need information."_

_"Sleeeepeeey."_

_"You can sleep later." _

Shiroi gave a little grumpy sigh and lightly touched its fangs to Masa's arm, clearly stating its desire to be left alone.

_"There's cheese in it for you," _Masa hinted.

Shiroi's glittering black eyes opened hopefully, and with a long suffering sigh it wound its way up Masa's sleeve, slithering up the boy's collar and disappearing into his hair.

_"Shiroi get information. Then he ssssleeep a loooong time."_

Masa smiled. _"Deal."_

Shiroi's tail twitched. _"Nooo deal. Shiroi sleep whether masssster likess or not."_

Masa rolled his eyes, knowing he couldn't expect anything more from the little snake.

Shiroi looked around from its hidden position in Masa's raven locks. _"Sssseeeee."_

It slithered back down Masa's shirt again, sliding down the boy's palm and grasping the offered pencil in its tail. With quick, deft strokes it wrote out a series of answers, yawning by the time it got to number five.

_"One moooore."_

Number six was halfway finished before Shiroi gave an enormous yawn, covering its mouth with its tiny tail. Shiroi's eyes shut halfway and it slithered down into Masa's lap, sliding down into the pouch at the boy's side and curling up into a ball.

_"Sleeeeep noooow."_

Masa smiled and gently stroked his little friend's spine. _"It is enough, Shiroi."_

The snake gave a stuttering hiss of pleasure and proceeded to continue its nap.

Masa finished filling out number six, then worked out the last three answers as best he could. _Now the hard part begins._

...

Takumi didn't have any idea what he was doing. He was a medical ninja for crying out loud! How was he expected to understand complex details about attacks and trajectory? Ask Katsuro or Chinatsu if you wanted a detailed explanation of fighter techniques.

Finally finding a question in the medical area, Takumi filled out his one answer and sat back in the chair, stretching his long legs out underneath the table.

_And Tobi said this was going to be easy. Remind me to ask the council to fire him when this is over._

Looking over at his younger sister sitting several tables away, Takumi sighed and shook his head. The poor girl was terrified! She never had done well with tests of any kind, and now with the added pressure of her team placed on her it was no wonder she was a nervous wreck!

Watching another team get dragged out for cheating, Takumi shuddered and hoped Raiden would keep his head. Etsuko would make it off easy, she always did. Raiden though... one never knew what he was going to do.

Takumi sighed and leaned backwards, trying to get comfortable while he waited for the others to finish.

...

Naoko's sharingan spun into action when she noted Etsuko and Kabuto's frantic scribbling. They looked like they were each trying to finish ahead of the other. _Answers, here I come._

Adjusting her spinning sharingan, Naoko zoomed in on Kabuto's papers. Quickly she wrote down number 1, then repeated the process for 2-7. _All too easy._ She saw that Ryuu was getting the answers as well, and grinned. _Like I need his help._

Finally deactivating her sharingan for the time being, Naoko checked up on the rest of her teammates. Naruto looked sick. There was no hope for that section of the room. Sakura though, seemed to be holding her own rather well, and Sasuke had apparently found his own method of getting the answers.

_Good, at least we should pass this ti - _

Naoko's heart beat faster as yet another group was kicked out of the exams. _This is not good. I hope no one in our team gets caught! How many marks do I have?_

Naoko tried to see through the jounin's papers for her own tallies, but sadly her sharingan was not yet capable of picking up flat lines like pencil markings right now.

_This is so __**irritating!**__ How am I supposed to get through this thing when I'm worried to death about my own marks and those of my team? I am never going to get through this!_

Time went by. Naoko grumped and wished she had a book. More students were tallied out, some kicking and screaming as they were dragged away. _Naruto, please don't be an idiot!_

Finally the fifteen minutes till mark hit, and Ibiki addressed the genin.

"Now that we've weeded out most of the hopeless cases, fifteen minutes to go. Time for the main event. All right!" Ibiki's voice took on a general's ordering tone. "Listen up! Here's the tenth and final question."

He paused a moment. "There are some more rules that you need to be aware of."

_More rules? Again?_ Naoko looked to Ryuu, but he was just as confused as she was.

"These rules are unique to question ten. Listen carefully, and try not to let them frighten you."

...

Takumi couldn't help a shudder as Ibiki spoke. He was frightened all ready. Looking over, his heart went out to his little sis. _Stay strong, Tsukiko, it'll be okay!_ But inwardly he was beginning to wonder...

...

Etsuko gave a twisted smile. Her? Frightened? By the greatest interrogator of the Konoha village? She hadn't told the others what she knew of this man. Perhaps she should have. But then again, Etsuko considered it better they didn't know yet. If they could learn for themselves how Ibiki twisted the mind, they could also understand how to fight against it. _And if the negotiations go wrong, they'll need that knowledge._

For the time being though, Etsuko alone understood the power this man could exert over an individual's mindset. And she would keep that to herself. She smiled coyly at the torture master. _Bring it on. I'm ready._

...

"Very well then, rule number one," Ibiki continued when he got no answers. "Each of you is free to choose not to be given the final question. It's your decision."

"Whoah, so what's the catch?" someone asked. "What if we decide not to do it? What happens then?"

"If you choose not to take the tenth question," Ibiki said, "regardless of your answers to the other nine... you'll get a zero. In other words you fail. That means of course both your teammates fail as well."

There were several murmurs of "what does he mean," and, "of course we'll take the final question."

"Not so fast," Ibiki said. "You didn't let me finish. If you do accept the question but answer it incorrectly, you will not only fail... YOU WILL BE BARRED FROM TAKING THE CHUNIN EXAM EVER AGAIN!"

_Not good!_ Naoko squeezed her eyes shut. _Pleeease, Naruto, don't panic!_

"Hey, that's ridiculous!" Kiba shouted as he leapt from his seat. "What kind of rule is that? There's lots of people here who've taken the test before!"

Ibiki laughed, an awful sound that made a chill run up and down Naoko's spine. "I guess you're just... unlucky," he answered. "I wasn't making the rules before. But I am now. Of course if you don't want to take it, you don't have to." Ibiki smiled. "If you're not feeling confident then by all means, skip it. You can come back and try again next year." He laughed again.

_Naruto do NOT quite on me now or so help me I will throw you into the next mud puddle I come across! And I'll make sure Sakura is a witness too! _

Naoko put her head in her hands. It was doubtlessly hopeless now. _I hate being a genin._

...

Ryuu stared at the proctor, fear washing through his very bones as team after team stood up and left. Ibiki looked straight at him, and Ryuu's pride took over. He glanced over at Masa, who gave a firm nod.

Ryuu's gaze shifted to Aika. She looked frightened, but she gave a small nod of her own. Ryuu smiled. _Trust me, Flower Chan,_ he thought. _We will make it through._ They had to. They represented their clan.

...

Etsuko frowned as she met Takumi's gaze. The medical trainee looked nervous, but he stiffly nodded.

She gave Raiden a stern glare. He grinned as usual and leaned back in his chair, fully confident in his own abilities - whether they got him anywhere or not.

Etsuko faced forward again. This was it. Satoru had picked each of them for this exam, and this was their first test. Would the others make it past the daunting prospect of Konoha's best interrogator? If not, they were unworthy of continuing further. There would be no further chances at the exams.

...

Aika shivered but kept her eyes on Ryuu. He was sitting as straight as possible, shoulders back, his entire posture showing no fear. She drew strength from the stubborn look in his eyes that always showed up when he was facing a problem and refused to back down.

_If Ryuu says we'll make it, then we will. _

...

Takumi shifted in his chair, forcing himself to breath slowly. _Easy, let the peripheral nervous system kick in._ He slowly let a breath out, trying to relax.

_Easy,... easy,... don't let it get to you. He's just a teacher._

Takumi's gaze shifted to his sister, and his heart fell.

...

Tsukiko was shaking all over again.

"If you're not feeling confident then by all means, skip it," Ibiki's voice was harsh yet cajoling. "You can come back and try again next year."

"I'm out," one of the genin said. "I'm so sorry guys," he apologized to his team.

Tsukiko's knees started to knock together. One by one more teams began to quit, shattering the girl's frail nerves.

_I can't do it! I can't do it! I'm going to fail, I know it! Katsuro and Chinatsu, I'm so sorry! Satoru, oh, why did you pick me, you know I'm going to fail!_

She shakily lifted a hand to the desk. _I'm sorry everyone. I can't do this._

Tsukiko started to put her hand in the air, but was startled as Gaara grabbed it.

"Don't you dare!" he hissed at her.

Tsukiko gasped, quaking like a leaf.

"Don't you dare quit now," Gaara said again in an agitated tone. "You've gotten this far, and you're going to finish!"

Tsukiko opened her mouth, but no words came. She was quivering so much she was shaking the table again, and she felt ready to scream. Gaara gripped her hand harder, nearly crushing her fingers. He sighed in exasperation and grabbed the test where she had copied his answers.

"I did not do this for you to just quit," he hissed. "Now get a grip!"

Tsukiko managed a slight nod, her tongue cleaving to the roof of her mouth.

Another team left. Tsukiko knocked the table again, trying to jerk her hand away. Gaara kept a tight grip, growling and closing his eyes in agitation.

Tsukiko's eyes were wide, and she concentrated on the pain from her bruised fingers. _I can do this, I can do this. I - I'll try..._

...

Raiden was having a blast. Fear? Go jump out a window. Then he looked into Ibiki's eyes. _And I am so dead..._

...

Katsuro and Chinatsu exchanged a glance.

_"We can do this," _Katsuro encouraged, speaking through the link the twins had.

_"I know we can," _Chinatsu agreed. She looked over at Tsukiko then grinned. _"Looks like our littlest member has a guardian."_

_"Or a rival," _Katsuro pointed out. _"Which one of us is he trying to kill?"_

_"Probably you," _Chinatsu smiled. _"You know how much you look like - "_

_"No need to remind me, I hate him enough already."_

Chinatsu laughed. _"You boys. You make enemies so easily, whether they're actually against you or not!"_

Katsuro grinned. _"We're Chihua. It's to be expected."_

The two smiled at each other and faced Ibiki. They were ready for whatever came next.

...

Masa remained calm. One's inner emotions in a situation could determine the outcome, whether good or ill. And Masa was never one to show his emotions in a battle - except when it came to defending Aika.

_Keep quiet, and he won't get to you. _

Masa gave a small smile. He could do this thing.

...

Naoko was resting her head against the desk, dark thoughts running through her derailed mindset, when a slam echoed across the room.

"Don't underestimate me!" Naruto's voice shouted, causing Naoko to look up in surprise and relief. "I don't quit and I don't run! You can act tough all you want, you guys aren't going to scare me off! No way! I don't care if I do get stuck as a genin for the rest of my life!" He stood up and faced Ibiki. "I'll still be Hokage someday!"

"Dude, I am so sorry you have to put up with that guy," Ryuu said as he shook his head.

Naoko grinned. "You learn to live with it after a while." _Good for you, Naruto._

"This decision is one that could change your life," Ibiki pointed out. "If for any reason you would rather quit, now's your last chance."

"No way, I never go back on my word," Naruto stated. "That's the way of the ninja."

Naoko looked around and saw admiration on many ninja's faces as they watched the exchange. _Well, maybe he'll make it to Hokage after all._

"Well then, I admire your determination if nothing else," Ibiki said unexpectedly. "For those of you remaining there's only one thing left to do. And that's for me to tell you..." He looked up and smiled. "That you've all passed the first exam."

Ryuu looked blankly at the proctor for a minute. "WHAAAAAAAAT?" he finally yelled.

Immediately a chorus of shouts rose as Etsuko, Katsuro, Chinatsu, and Raiden all rose to their feet.

...

Gaara sighed and released Tsukiko's hand, rubbing his forehead and shooting a glare at Temari's questioning eyebrows.

Tsukiko's shaking quickly ceased as the danger of the exam passed, though she looked in danger of hyperventilation by now.

"Why - why did you do that?" she finally asked as she rubbed her fingers.

Gaara sighed. "I was just getting tired of you shaking the table, that's all!"

Tsukiko flushed and looked down again, her knees beginning to quake.

"Don't start again." Gaara heaved a sigh. "It's all right. It's just - agh, forget it."

...

Naoko's eyes narrowed. From what she had seen Gaara wasn't much of a emotional person, but Tsukiko certainly had a way of getting on his bad side.

"Hold on," Sakura's voice rose above the Chihua's clamor. "What just happened? What do you mean we passed? Where's the tenth question?"

The Chihua's stopped as they waited for an answer.

Ibiki laughed. "There never was one. Not a written one at least. Actually, your decision to stay was the answer to the tenth question."

Silence.

"Wait a second," Temari demanded. "So the other nine questions you gave us were just a waste of time, was that it? Is that what you're saying?"

"Temper, temper, mon capitan," Ryuu muttered. "She's worse than Mari!"

"No, no, no," Ibiki answered. "Not at all. Quite the opposite. The first nine questions had an important overriding purpose. To test your ability to surreptitiously gather strategic intelligence under the most adverse circumstances."

"Wow. That was a mouthful," Naoko said quietly to Ryuu.

"Try saying that ten times fast," he replied with a grin.

"That, that, that, that, that - "

"Haha," Ryuu rolled his eyes at the lame joke.

"Oh, well that clears up everything," Temari said doubtfully.

"Let me explain," Ibiki said.

"I was hoping you _would_." Takumi called out from where he had propped his legs up on the desk.

"You see, my objective was to test you not only as individuals, but as a team," Ibiki said. "And on how well you function as a part of that team. That's why the test was scored on a team basis. So you'd know that everything you did, or failed to do, would directly affect your teammates. I wanted to see how you would handle the pressure."

"Mm-hm," Naruto nodded as he hid his ignorance. "Yeah, I figured it was something like that, that's why I kept my cool."

"Oh, yeah, right," several Chihuas boys chorused in unison. Naruto's eyes widened and he sank into his chair.

Ibiki continued. "The first nine questions on the test were difficult. In fact, as you may have realized, too difficult for any genin to be expected to solve."

Katsuro and Chinatsu exchanged a glance. _"Oops."_

"I imagine most of you quickly came to that conclusion," Ibiki's voice droned on, threatening Naoko's short attention span. "That you'd have to cheat to get any chance of passing. The fact is, the test was designed to encourage cheating. It almost demanded it."

Ryuu smirked at Naoko. "Told you," he whispered.

Naoko resisted the urge to smack him in the nose.

"Of course it would have done you little good unless you had someone to cheat from," Ibiki added. "So I disguised two chunin who already knew the answers, and had them sit it with you."

"Haha, oh come on," Naruto laughed as he leaned back in his chair. "I wasn't fooled for a second. You had to be a complete doofus not to see it. Isn't that right, Hinata?"

Takumi rolled his eyes and straightened in his seat so he could tap the blond ninja's shoulder. "Naruto, you didn't see them," he pointed out.

Naruto glared daggers at him. "I uh... I..."

"Those who were caught at it failed," Ibiki continued. "Better not to cheat, than to cheat _clumsily_." He pulled off his headband, and gasps filled the room as Ibiki revealed a bald skull covered in scars and old puncture marks.

Naoko winced. _That is DISGUSTING! _She looked over in amusement as Ryuu fainted.

Ibiki spoke again. "Information. It can be the most valuable weapon in battle. How well you gather intelligence can determine whether a mission's a fail or success. Of course you must always consider the source of your information. Intelligence gathered from an enemy is not necessarily accurate..."

Naoko zoned out.

...

**(Author's note - I realized as I was typing Naruto episode 25 word for word, "Why am I writing this whole thing? It doesn't have anything to do with my chapter." If you want to know the whole lovely conversation that Ibiki holds, look for Naruto episode 25 part 2. I ended about 4 minutes in. Thanks!**

**Nathaniel's note - Please stop leaving out parts of the storyline, it might be important.**

**Water Dragon's note - Dude, annoying guy with the coffee cup, stop irritating the author!**

**Author's note - Shisui, please leave the author notes for the author to take care of. And your name isn't water dragon.**

**W. D's note - Oh, come on - **

**Author's note - Okay, everybody off my computer, I've got a story to run! Roll film!**

**...**

"...You have passed through the first gate," Ibiki said triumphantly. "I hereby declare this part of the chunin selection exam completed. There's nothing left but to wish you all good luck."

"All right!" Naruto screamed. "We did it! That's one down! Yeah, yeah, whooh-hooh!"

Tsukiko finally fainted across her desk.

Katsuro and Chinatsu, now sitting close together, gave each other a high five. Etsuko and Kabuto glared at one another.

"What'd I miss?" Ryuu mumbled as he came to. Naoko rolled her eyes at him.

Suddenly something burst through the window, showering Ibiki with glass. Two kunais launched out, attaching a banner to the ceiling. In the same moment a woman with wild brown hair tied back in a spiky ponytail appeared.

"Heads up, boys and girls," she announced enthusiastically. "This is no time to be celebrating! I'll be your next proctor, Anko Mitarashi. Ready for the second _test_? Good! Then let's go! Follow me!"

Ryuu stared open mouthed. "I swear she didn't give us time for an answer."

Naoko nudged his elbow. "Well, it's not exactly like we're going anywhere."

Everyone was just staring ahead as though someone had shone a bright light in their eyes.

Ibiki peeked out from behind the large banner. "You're early. Again."

Anko glared at him, her face blushing.

"How many are there?" Anko muttered. "Ibiki," she accused. "You let all these guys pass? Your test was too easy. You must be getting soft."

"Or it could be a stronger crop of candidates this year," Ibiki pointed out.

"Hm, they sure don't look it," Anko smirked.

"Excuse me!" Ryuu jumped up. "But that - !"

Naoko growled and pulled him back down again, causing him to fall over his chair.

"Trust me," Anko continued. "By the time I'm done with them, over half will be eliminated."

"More than half? Really?" Sakura asked despairingly.

Etsuko and Kabuto exchanged a glance, eyes flashing dangerously.

_Dude, those two are at it as bad as Naruto and Sasuke! This is really going to be a rotten exam!_

"Hm, this is going to be fun," Anko said.

_Bring it on._

"All right, you maggots have had it easy so far," Anko said briskly. "But, things are going to be different starting first thing in the morning. I'll let your squad leaders know where you're to meet me. Dismissed," she finished in a sing-song lilt.

The genin exchanged glances, then slowly filed out of the room. Ryuu and some of the Chihuas began comparing answers, while Etsuko stomped away without sparing a backward glance. Takumi was helping his sister wake up, the events of the day having taken a toll on her fragile mindset.

"I'll catch up with you guys later," he called out.

Naoko shook her head as she caught up with Naruto. "So... knew about the chunin the whole time, huh?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Uhhhh, you heard that did you?"

...

Early the next morning the genin stood outside a large fenced enclosed wooded area.

"Whoah, nice place," Naruto said queasily. "What is it?"

"This is the location for the second phase of the exam," Anko explained. "It's the forty-fourth battle training sound. But we call it... the Forest of _Death_."

**...**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "So there's part one of the Chunin exams. I was originally going to try and put everything in one chapter, but after losing half of it and adding extra characters it got too long to risk losing again. Anyways, hope you like the extra characters. They won't be around all the time, (since this is about Naoko), but they will appear more often if the reviewers like them. I really didn't plan on adding extra OC's this early, but they're making it more fun to write, so you can expect sooner updates this way."**

**Ryuu: (Reads over exams part) "You know you're very well on your way to making one of the main characters very OC."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "I know, I know. It won't happen again! Until later that is - I've got a plot idea going on. Ummm, Shisui, what are you doing?"**

**Shisui: "I'm looking for me. You didn't mentioning me in here."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: (Sighs) "Shisui, you're not a Chihua."**

**Shisui: (Sniffs derisively) "Well that doesn't matter! I should be in the exams anyways."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Uhhh, didn't you already take the exams?"**

**Ryuu: "Moving on! Please review soon so that the author will move on to the Forest of Death arc."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Um, reminder, new chapters don't really depend on reviews - well, before 3/21/11 that is. Anyways, since the Forest of Death arc is kind of a fog to me right now, it might take longer to get around to. Reviews do often help in cases like that."**

**Shisui: "You heard the author. Review."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Shisui, stop threatening my readers. It's not very nice and they won't appreciate it." (Addresses readers) "Please leave a little review as you drop by though. I'd offer brownies but they're for a party."**

**Shisui: "I want a brownie!"**

**Nathaniel: (Moans) "Never offer sweets in front of an Uchiha, ATG. You should know that by now!"**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "It's for a future plotline! How'd I know my writing's contagious?"**

**Ryuu: "If you write that into this story, I quit."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Remind me why we're arguing about this at 11:30 at night."**

**Nathaniel: "Oh, maybe it's because you insanely decided not to go to bed until you finished this chapter."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "..."**

**Ryuu: "Yep, she's out of it. Leave a review please, author doesn't own anything except the OC characters."**

**A Tragic Galaxy: "..."**

**Ryuu: "Give it up and go to bed, ATG. I hate arguing with a blank line."**

**Nathaniel: "Thanks for reading!" (Shuts down computer)**


	19. Waiting

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Aaand Chunin exams part 2! Sorry this took so long. I got bored of writing for Naruto for a while."**

** Ryuu: "How could you get bored of writing? You've been inventing plotlines every day for weeks!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: (Shrugs) "I dunno. I just didn't want to write for this story."**

** Ryuu: "We're so dead."**

** Nathaniel: "ATG does not own Naruto or the plotline."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Yeah, yeah, we know that already. Oh, and by the way, if you've read this story before please don't panic at the extra chapters of previous writing. I finally decided to make everything shorter, so only a few chapters are new. This won't happen again."**

** Nathaniel: "She hopes, that is."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Do you mind?"**

** Naruko: "Cool, the Chunin Exams arc? I wanna be in it!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Dude you - wait - what - where did you come from? You're supposed to be an extra character!"**

** Naruko: (grins) "Yeah, can I come in early? Huh? Huh? Please?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Sorry, I wrote you out of the script earlier. Your name isn't even Japanese as far as I know, and I can't fit you into the plotline anymore."**

** Naruko: (jaw drops) "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Dude, you weren't even a major part to begin with! Get over it. Anyways, my apologies to the readers if some of the actual characters from Naruto seem a bit OC. Let me know if they're getting too out of character and I'll try and fix it up a bit in future chapters."**

** Shisui: (enters and looks at Naruko) "Who let the tornado in?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: (Covers eyes and knocks forehead against computer screen) "The tornado is leaving. Now."**

** Naruko: "This can't be happening - you can't write me out of the script!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: (Blocks and deletes a large group of text) "Voila. You are offically non-existant."**

** (Naruko cries and Shisui and Ryuu exchange a 'doomed' look)**

** Shisui: "Hey, you know we always looked up to you, right ATG? I mean, you're like, totally our favorite author."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Flattery will get you nowhere. But be nice to me and maybe I'll leave you alive."**

** Ryuu: (Searches his pockets) "What's it going to be; Starbucks or the Taj Mahal? I can get you a carryout if you like."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Haha. Relax, Ryuu. You're too annoying to write out of the script."**

** Ryuu: "That's...nice...maybe."**

** Shisui: (Asks hopefully) "Am I annoying?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Nah, just hilarious. I need some crazyness in this thing anyways. I can't wait until I get to Shippuden though. You guys are kinda boring at this stage."**

** Ryuu: "Hmph! Well that's courteous of you to say."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "You'll get over it."**

** Nathaniel: "Haven't you written enough commentary?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "I don't have internet access right now! I need something to write!"**

** Nathaniel: "Then start putting down your future chapters."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: (makes a sour face) "I never write stuff early. Ruins my concentration and keeps me from filling in the blanks easier. Oh, by the way readers, I've got a lot of loose ends that will get tied together by the time it gets to the war with Madara. I'm letting you know ahead of time so that you can let me know if I forget anything noticable. Thanks!"**

** Nathaniel: "Start writing, ATG."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Why are you here?"**

** Nathaniel: "Type."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Oh, fine! Roll film!"**

**...**

Naoko was too agitated to sit still. She was itching to get behind the foreboading length of fence surrounding the wooded area. At the rate things were going, Naoko was beginning to wonder if she would go absolutely nuts from the tension.

Looking around at the seperate teams, she found her eyes darting to Kabuto one too many times for comfort. Growling at her own weakness, Naoko ambled to the side far enough to put Sasuke in her line of vision - successfully blocking out a certain grey-haired ninja.

"Whoah, nice place," Naruto said as he studied the woods, eyes wide in trepidation. "What is it?"

""This is the location for the second phase of the exam," Anko explained. "It's the forty-fourth battle training sound. But we call it... the Forest of _Death_."

Katsuro and Chinatsu exchanged a glance.

"Look familiar?" Katsuro said, almost too softly for Naoko to hear.

Chinatsu smiled. "It's just too bad Etsuko's not on our team. She knows the terrain."

_Well that's funny. Have they been here before? I wonder if - _

"This whole place just totally creeps me out!" Sakura said queezily.

Anko laughed. "It should. They call it the forest of _death._ And soon enough, you're going to find out why."

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, I __**get **__it! Can we go in now?_ Naoko began shifting from foot to foot as her impatience grew, but she tried to quiet herself as Sasuke gave her a warning look.

_Note to self: Do not drink coffee before the chunin exams._

"Hm." Naruto snorted and began mimicking Anko. "'They call it the forest of death. Soon you're going to find out why.' Do your worst," he shouted. "You're not going to scare me away! I can handle anything!"

Naoko groaned and covered her face with her hand. _Please, Naruto, not in front of everybody! I'm supposed to be on the 'semi-cool' team right now!_

Anko smiled. "So," she taunted, "looks like we've got ourselves a tough guy."

Without warning Naoko's sharingan spun into motion as Anko threw a kunai. It sliced Naruto's cheek and Anko moved like a lightning flash to stand behind him.

Naoko didn't know where he came from, but she jumped as Katsuro suddenly leapt out to intercept the kunai with a throwing needle, knocking it aside just before it hit the ground.

Etsuko growled and slapped him over the head, obviously admonishing him for something.

"You tough enough to handle this?" Anko asked Naruto in a hushed, terrifyingly calm voice. "You're not afraid, are you?" She turned Naruto's face towards her. "Tough guys like you usually leave their blood all _over_ this forest."

Naoko's eyes widened as her sharingan zoomed in on one of the grass ninjas. The genin was racing towards Anko, the kunai held in her long, frog-like tongue. Naoko gasped and raced forward, stopping the kunai with one of her own a split second faster than Anko.

Anko stared at the two of them, her face calm yet surprised. Naoko caught the grass ninja's scrutinizing gaze, and she felt a chill run up her spine. Noting that Anko already held a kunai to the grass ninja's throat, she slowly backed away and deactivated her sharingan.

"I was just returning your knife," the grass ninja explained to Anko, her eyes never leaving Naoko's face.

"Why thank you, Grass Ninja," Anko said pleasantly, though her smile was guarded. "You know, I really only recommend you stand this close behind me...if you wish to reach a premature end." With a clench of her fist she grasped both kunai, allowing the ninja to retract her disguisting purple tongue.

"My pardon," the grass ninja replied smoothly. "With the sight of blood on your blade slicing through my hair, I'm afraid that I just became a little excited. I meant you no _harm._"

Naoko growled and crouched in a ready position, the hair standing up on the back of her neck. _I don't like this! This girl is just creepy!_

The grass ninja gave Naoko one more calculative look before laughing slightly and walking away.

"Likewise," Anko said threateningly as she watched the genin leave.

Naruto broke the solumn moment as he began sticking his tongue out, attempting to mimick the grass ninja.

"Seems like everyone here today is quick tempered," Anko said with a deadly grin. "Must be something in the air." She laughed. "This is going to be fun."

"Now before we begin this test," Anko informed as she approached the fence, "I have something to hand out to you all." She reached into her coat and pulled out a packet of papers. "It's just a standard consent form."

"Come on, come _on_!" Ryuu was clenching his fists and muttering to himself. "Just get it over already!"

"Relax," Masa said in a bored tone. "It'll be over soon enough."

At the moment, Naoko was siding with Ryuu.

"Before the test, all of you are going to need to read over this form, and then sign it," Anko explained.

"What for?" Naruto questioned.

"Some of you may not come back from this test," Anko said calmly. "And I have to get your consent to that risk. Otherwise it would be my responsibility." She laughed at the thought, and Naoko's inside curdled.

"Ummmm, Katsuro?" Tsukiko's voice trembled slightly as she drew closer to her teammates.

"Hush, it'll be fine," Katsuro reassured her. "We'll take you through it. It'll be no problem."

"Now, I'll explain what you'll be doing on this test. Here, pass these out," Anko ordered Naruto as she handed him the papers. "The first thing you need to know is that this task will test every one of your survival skills."

Shikamaru deliberately yawned, and Naoko resisted the urge to go out of her way to slap him.

"First," Anko unfurled a map, "I'll give you all a description of the terrain of the practice field. The forty-four battle training zone has forty-four locked entrance gates. There are rivers and a forest inside. In the center is a locked tower, located ten kilometers from each gate. It's in this confined area that you'll undergo the survival test."

Naoko peered up at the tower jutting from the treetops and swallowed.

Anko rolled up the map and replaced it in her coat pocket. "The test consists of... Anything goes battle to get your hands on these scrolls!" She pulled out a black and a white scroll.

"Both of them?" one of the genin asked.

"Yes," Anko replied. "You'll be fighting to get both a heaven scroll and an earth scroll."

The momentary silence was broken only by the shrill calling of birds.

"Altogether, twenty-six teams will be taking part in this test," Anko continued. "So half of those teams will be going after the heaven scroll, and the other half will be trying to get the earth scroll. I'll hand over one scroll to each team, and _that's_ what you'll be vying for."

_Finally! Some decent sort of competition!_

"Okay," Sasuke said. "So how do we pass the test?"

"Your entire squad must bring both a heaven and earth scroll to the tower," Anko replied.

"That means at the very best only half of us will fail," Sakura pointed out. "More if not every team is able to get both the scrolls."

"No one ever said it would be easy," Anko said nonchallantly, a sneer in her voice. "Oh, and one more thing - the test has a time limit. You must finish it within five days."

"Five days out there?" Ino shouted.

"What are we supposed to do for food?" Choji cried out.

Naoko's eyes narrowed. _Five days... this test won't be a breeze, will it. _Looking around, she noted that most of the Chihua's appeared absolutely calm, though she suspected it was a front to hide their true emotions.

"Look around," Anko answered Choji's question. "The forest is full of things to eat. There's plenty to feed all of you."

"Yeah," Kabuto noted, "but... that's not all the forest has plenty of. There are man-eating beasts and poisonous plants in there."

"Aw, man!" Choji cried.

"Quiet down!" Ino ordered. "This _is _why they call it _survival_ you know."

"That means with these circumstances there's no way half the teams will pass the test," Shikamaru observed.

"With the days getting longer, the nights are getting shorter," Rock Lee pointed out. "So we will have less time to sleep, and less time to recover." He grinned. "It is a challenge indeed!"

Naoko rolled her eyes. _You guys ever tried sleeping with the lights on? It's a cinch. Trust me._

"Completely surrounded by enemies," Sasuke commented. "There won't be time to rest. We'll have to keep a constant watch."

_Oh, ka-phooey on it all! So much for eight hours of nap time._

"Right," Anko confirmed. "This test also measures endurance behind enemy lines. This is designed to be a grueling test, and I'm sure some of you won't be up to the challenge."

Shikamaru raised his hand. "So um, let's say mid-exam. Can we quit?"

"Well of course not!" Anko responded. "In the middle of battle you can't say 'sorry, I quit! Well, I guess you could, but it's probably going to get you killed."

"Oh, just great," Shikamaru said with a sigh. "This is going to be a drag."

Takumi grinned as he adjusted his pale blue cloak. "Actually, I suspect it's going to be everything _but_."

Naoko fiddled with a kunai, her impatience rising. She was hoping the same thing.

"There are also some ways you can get disqualified," Anko continued with a bored expression. "The first is simple: If all three team members can't make it to the tower with both scrolls after five days. Number two: If a team loses a member, or a member becomes incapacitated and cannot continue. But most important, none of you, absolutely none of you may look at the contents of the scrolls until you've reached the tower."

"W-what if it just happens to flap open and you read it?" Naruto asked in a worried tone.

Anko laughed. "Let me put it to you this way, young man. You. Don't. Want. To. Know."

Naoko shuddered. She didn't know whether she should laugh nervously or scream hysterically. Maybe panicking would do for the time being... but no. She was an Urutymaya. She would get through this.

"There are times when a ninja will be asked to carry secret documents," Anko explained. "The scroll rule is to test your integrity. Okay, we're done." She pointed to a stand some distance away. "Each team take your consent forms and exchange them over there for your scrolls. After that, each team pick a gate and you'll be let inside."

Anko heaved a sigh. "Oh, and I have one more word of advice... JUST DON'T DIE!"

Naoko closed her eyes. _That was... really helpful. How to Avoid Stupidity Lesson 16. Thanks, Anko._

...

Naoko paced around as she waited for the others to finish reading their consent forms. She didn't really feel the need to look through hers. Tiny print listed hundreds of ways to die, and the signature took up a tenth of the page. _We're doomed._

"Come on, come on, come ON!" Ryuu's voice rang across the clearing. "I want to see some action here!"

"Dude, you're being an irritant!" Raiden snapped before turning to the exam leaders. "HEY, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET STARTED?"

"Would you both just shut up!" Aika yelled as she thwacked Raiden over the head with a book.

Naoko grinned. She was starting to like these genin.

"Whoops, maiden in distress!" Raiden called as he started to take off down the field. Aika calmly put out two fingers and caught hold of his braids, halting his flight.

"Aw, come on!"

"You don't need to see her," Aika responded camly without looking up from her book.

Naoko took a look at the place Raiden had been headed and caught sight of Sakura and Ino. She smirked. _Leave it alone Raiden, Sakura can take care of herself._

Naoko watched in amusement as the girls battled it out, their shouts echoeing across the field. Ryuu blanched, and he calmly backed away until Naoko was standing between him and the two squabbling females.

"Uhhh, you can control your teammate... right?"

Naoko rolled her eyes. "Oh honestly, don't tell me you're _all_ terrified of the female race."

Ryuu gave a sickly smile. "Hey, girls are scary. Since when do guys try to claw you to death or tear your hair out?"

Naoko considered this. "Good point."

"All right everyone," one of the exam leaders called out. "We're going to start handing out scrolls."

"YES!" Ryuu shouted, punching a fist in the air. He started to make a break for it, but was stopped as Etsuko placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Slowly," the ninja reminded.

Ryuu shot her a glare.

Naoko's brow furrowed. "What was that about?" she asked.

Ryuu gave a sheepish grin. "Uh, nothing."

Naoko said nothing more, but she sent him a withering glare of suspicion. Ryuu gulped and quickly joined his team.

Because of the curtain drawn across the booth, Naoko couldn't tell which teams got which scroll.

Katsuro's team looked decisively smug as they exited. Naoko caught sight of Katsuro lightly patting the pouch at his side, and grinned as she realized exactly who was holding the scroll.

When Naoko's team finally entered the tent, they were given a heaven scroll. Then there was more waiting as the rest of the teams obtained their scrolls. Finally two o'clock arrived.

"Listen up!" Anko called. "All the teams have received their scrolls so go to the gate and wait there. When the gates open the test is ON!"

...

_I hate the number 12._ Twelve was associated with bad luck. It was the number right before thirteen - which meant Naoko's favorite number - 1, it meant evil in her favorite book series _Midnighters_, and it was an even number divisible by four. In Naoko's mind, any even number was dangerous. Divisibility by another even number just made things worse.

Unfortunately their gate number was twelve. A little ways away, Ryuu gave her a thumbs up from his team's own gate... number 13.

Naoko knew they were doomed from the start.

"Believe it!" Naruto shouted as he aimed a punch at the gate. He continued shouting his future triumphs, fully convinced that he would ace the test.

Sakura and Sasuke were silent on the other hand. Naoko took her place at Sasuke's side, feeling ready to take on anything.

_So, the last Urutymaya and the last Uchiha are here to take a stand..._ Then she remembered. Sasuke _wasn't_ the last Uchiha anymore. But how would she explain to him if he found out...

_I'll just have to pray he never does. I hope Shisui keeps his big mouth shut._

Half an hour dragged by, and finally one of the ninjas unlocked gate 12.

"All right, heads up you maggots!" Anko yelled. "The second part of the test has begun!"

Immediately the doors slammed open and the genin raced through as one. Naoko immediately lost sight of Ryuu's team, and not for the first time she wished all her teammates had sharingan for this test.

"All right!" Naruto shouted. "Here we go, guys!"

"Finally," Naoko muttered as she clenched her fists in eager anticipation.

...

**Shisui: "You know, half of your chapters are taken up in commentary."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Don't you start giving me a hard time! You're the one that talks so much!"**

** Shisui: "Hey, I add humor to the story! Besides, I told you that if you just give me a little piece in every chapter I'll shut up."**

** Nathaniel: "No, you won't."**

** Shisui: "Yeah, yeah, we'll just ignore that for the time being. Hey, ATG needs some reviews since her inbox is looking pretty empty. She'd appreciate it if some nice people would drop a comment on their way out."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "She'd appreciate it if a certain someone would **_**be**_** on their way out - with or without the comment!"**

** Shisui: "You know, that sounds like it's mean to insult me."**

** Nathaniel: "You know, you two are starting to sound like a pair of squabbling siblings. Mabye we should start writing some new pairings here."**

** Shisui and A Tragic Galaxy: "ARE YOU CRAZY?" (Shisui puts hands around his throat and falls to the floor gagging)**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Dude, I can't be paired up with my fictional characters! What, did someone just hit you over the head and drop you in Arkham or something?"**

** Nathaniel: "Relax, I was just kidding. You two do need to tone it down though. Kohaku is starting to get a little irritated at the constant racket."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "How many more of my characters are going to start bugging me? Dude, I seriously am beginning to wonder if I have a life here."**

** Nathaniel: "People with lives don't spend fourteen hours a day writing fictional stories that will never get published."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Well, it's that or ponystars."**

** Nathaniel: "You're hopeless."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: (Sighs) "Review please."**

** Nathaniel: "Do you really play that?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Shut up, Nathaniel."**


	20. In the Forest

**A Tragic Galaxy: "Wow, I seriously have no inspiration to write at the moment."**

** Nathaniel: "Start Writing."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Yes, Bwana."**

** Shisui: "Can I talk now?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "No, I told you you were grounded. Now leave me alone before I sic Itachi on you."**

** Shisui: "He's not supposed to - "**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "I'm the writer which means I make the rules!"**

** Ryuu: "Hey, Shisui, better leave her alone. She's in a bad mood since her sister drank the last of the coffee."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "It's not because of the coffee! I'm tired and I want to be left alone, and I'm getting sick of writing commentary!"**

** Nathaniel: "That's the cue. Roll film!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "I don't believe this."**

**... **

Naoko shuddered as screams rang out through the forest. Instantly her spinning sharingan activated, but as the cries of pain continued it started piecing apart.

Naoko felt her head spinning and she fell with a cry.

"Naoko!" she vaguely heard Naruto cry out.

_Blood, all around her. Screams of pain. No. Have to stop... can't let ... stop..._

"Naoko, snap out of it!"

Naoko felt someone shaking her shoulders roughly, and she gasped as the visions fell away. Sasuke was grasping her arms and shouting at her, and Naoko quickly jerked away as she felt his chakra begin to soak into her. The screaming had stopped.

"Naoko what happened?" Sakura asked in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Naoko replied shakily as she rubbed her shoulder. Sasuke was staring at his hands in shock. The team knew of Naoko's absorbing abilities by now, but Sasuke had never been affected by it before.

Naoko cringed. "Sorry about that."

Sasuke gave her a brisque nod. The attack would be forgotten.

"I do not like this place," Sakura whispered as a flock of birds flew overhead.

...

Katsuro winced as the screams echoed through the forest.

"Keep an eye out, Tsukiko," he warned. "That's one team down already."

"Actually, that's more like _up_," Chinutsa corrected as she peered into the tree tops.

Katsuro followed her gaze and saw a net swinging in the breeze. "Giant leeches. You don't want to mess with those. They'll suck you dry in less than five minutes."

"Sh-shouldn't we help them?" Tsukiko asked in a timid voice.

Katsuro shook his head. "Nah. They're probably dead already. Better leave it alone. You might get yourself killed."

Tsukiko stared up at the net, then took a deep breath. "I want to help them," she said in a brave yet quiet tone.

Katsuro sighed. "Tsukiko, I told you it's too risky. You'll just wind up in a similar trap. Leave them alone."

Tsukiko hesitated, then shook her head. "You don't understand. I _need_ to help them."

Katsuro was astonished. Tsukiko never spoke up to anyone. What had gotten into her?

Chinatsu seemed to sense something he had missed however. "Let her got, Katsuro. I think I know what she's doing."

Katsuro rolled his eyes, then leapt into the tree tops. Tossing a wired shuriken around the netting until it caught, he tied the end around a thick tree branch then cut loose the rope that held the net high in the air. A weak groan was heard from one of the ninjas as they flew through the air then came to a sudden stop mere inches from the ground. Sliding down the cord, Katsuro severed the end and leapt away to avoid getting any of the blood suckers on himself. Tsukiko quickly moved in while Chinatsu disposed of the remaining leeches.

"They're still alive," Tsukiko said quietly as she put a hand on one of the genin's neck. A pale blue light radiated from her palm, bathing the ninja in its glow. The wound slowly closed up, and she moved to the next one.

Ten minutes later Tsukiko let the blue light die down. She was bathed in sweat and shuddering from exhertion, but she looked satisfied with herself.

"They'll be okay now," she smiled softly.

Katsuro shook his head. "Yeah, but you obviously won't."

Tsukiko blushed. "I couldn't let them die."

"Why didn't you tell us you were a medic?" Chinatsu asked as she flipped a kunai.

Tsukiko shrugged. "I'm not. My brother taught me how to do that."

Katsuro shrugged. "Well it certainly came in handy." He winked. "Looks like we have a good reason to keep you around." Despite Tsukiki's weak protests, he scooped her up and put her on his shoulders piggy-back style. "Come on, little blue flower. Let's get out of here before those genin wake up."

...

"You have got to be _kidding_ me!"

Masa frowned. "He's just a snake, Ryuu."

Ryuu glared at the genin, fully unconvinced of his teammate's sanity. "That s_nake_ is over fifty feet long! I do _not_ call that undangerous!"

Masa shook his head and turned back to the enormous reptile.

_"Do you think you can help us?" _he asked in the snake's language as he rubbed its chin.

The snake looked up momentarily, then closed its eyes in relaxation. _"Perhapssss."_

_ "We need to get a heaven scroll from the other team. Could you do it without getting anyone killed? I don't need anyone angry at our clan."_

The snake gave Masa a level gaze. _"I do no favorsss. I will get your ssscroll. That isss all you can asssk for."_

Masa didn't like the idea, but he nodded. _"I appreciate it."_

The snake said nothing but wallowed in the dust as Masa continued scratching its chin.

_"Jusssst don't sssstop."_

Ryuu grimaced and walked over to Aika, who had fainted on the forest path. "Hey, you might want to cut the conversation before she wakes up. I think she's liable to start screaming."

Masa nodded and gave the snake one more scratch, then offered it a chunk of the cheese he saved for Shiro. The giant reptile took it delicately between its fangs and slithered into the forest.

Ryuu glared at Masa as the snake left. "Exactly _why_ do you do that?"

Masa shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Come on, let's go see about that heaven scroll."

...

"Do we _have _to take the long way around? I swear you're trying to kill us all!"

Raiden continued griping despite the fact that Etsuko was ignoring him. "Remind me why Satoru put _you_ in charge of the group."

Etsuko's face was stone cold. "Because I'm eighteen and I've had a lot more experience. I also recall that _some_ people have a habit of sliding into walls and throwing themselves into chaotic situations without using a fraction of their brain capabilities."

"Hey, some of us actually are smart you know," Raiden fired back. "And we don't go following after crazy gray-haired ninjas just because they look like pitiful puppy dogs when they get beat up."

Etsuko ground to a halt, her foot gouging a long furrow in the dirt floor. "_What_ did you say?"

"Mari's got a crush on the sound ninja," Raiden taunted in a sing-song voice. He didn't have time to blink before a fist crashed into his cheekbone, sending him tumbling down the hill until he crashed into a boulder.

Etsuko leapt into the air and landed lightly on her feet in front of him. "Don't be absurd," she said heatedly. "That slime of a weasel has the other scroll we need. I want him out of this competition as soon as possible, and I'm going to get us our winning ticket while I'm at it." She swung to face Takumi. "Do either of you have any further objections?"

Takumi shook his head as he hitched his medical pack further onto his shoulders.

Etsuko sniffed triumphantly. "Good. Let's go catch that ninja team."

...

_Boys_, Naoko rolled her eyes as Naruto began bragging about his private business behind the tree. Sakura started shouting at him as usual, but Naoko wasn't expecting the upcoming attack from Sasuke. Her eyes widened as Naruto went flying into a tree.

"Sasuke, it wasn't that bad," Sakura said. "Don't you think you're going a little overboard?"

"Yeah, what was that for?" Naruto growled as he rubbed his cheek.

Something was off. Naoko's spinning sharingan activated itself and focused on Naruto as Sasuke attacked again. _Genjutsu!_

"Better watch out Sakura, I think he's gone crazy!" Naruto shouted as he picked himself up off the forest floor.

"Yeah, you wish," Sasuke replied. "I just struck before you could!"

"Sasuke, no!" Sakura shouted as he drew a kunai.

_Intervening!_ Naoko grinned as she launched herself at the fake Naruto. There was no way was she going to be let out of this fight! Nothing was more satisfying to Naoko than a solid sock to the nose - providing it was someone else's nose that is. 'Naruto's' cartilage crumbled beneath her fist and she felt a burst of chakra shoot up her arm.

'Naruto' fell back to the ground, and the genjutsu disapeared in a whirl of smoke. A ninja with spiked hair and a breathing mask stared at Naoko in astonishment before she kicked his forehead, rendering him unconscious.

"Um, yeah. I don't think that was Naruto," Naoko shrugged. _And I just... totally blew my cover. Great._

"Check and see if he has the scroll," Sasuke ordered. A thorough search of the ninja's pockets revealed nothing.

"Ka-phooey," Naoko muttered.

"Hey, get me out of this!" Naruto's voice rang out.

Naoko rolled her eyes. "Oh fine, I'll go rescue Mr. Hyperactive Imbicele."

"Keep an eye out," Sasuke warned. "This guy probably wasn't alone."

"Yeah, whatev," Naoko shrugged. "If they're all this stupid then what I'm really going to die from is ultimate boredom." She stalked off to help Naruto.

...

"That proves that we can't just trust appearances," Sasuke said as they sat in a group a few minutes later.

The ninja who had attacked them appeared to have been alone. So far there had been no further attacks, and breathing mask lay tightly bound and blindfolded underneath a tree.

"We have to find a way to come up with a way of knowing that each of us is who we say we are, and not some imposter using a transformation jutsue," Sasuke continued.

Naoko shrugged. "Well since you and I both have sharingan and I highly doubt anyone can copy it - or use it - we're probably good to go."

"But what about the rest of us?" Sakura asked.

"We need a password," Sasuke replied.

Naruto looked nervous. "What kind of password?"

"A secret one," Sasuke explained. "Something only known to the four of us. And don't trust _anyone_ who doesn't know it. No matter what."

_We're doomed._

"Okay, listen closely because I only want to say this once. The question will be, 'When does a ninja strike?' and the response is, 'A ninja waits until the time is right, when the enemy sleeps and drops his guard. When his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night, that is the moment for a ninja to strike.' Got it?"

Naoko's eyes narrowed. "You have _got_ to be kidding me. Can't we just do the sharingan?"

"For all your book reading, this should be pretty easy," Sasuke replied.

"Oh, yeah, and telling it right out in the open is super smart too," Naoko threw her hands in the air. "I mean, let's just shout out to the world, 'Hey, I've got a secret password! Want to know what it is?'"

"Naoko, cut it out!" Sasuke snapped. "Do you want to pass the exams or don't you?"

Naoko rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll do the stupid password. What was it again?"

"Just forget it," Sasuke groaned.

Naoko's sharingan caught sight of his finger moving at light speed however. _Fan and flame_ Sasuke wrote in the dirt. The words were wiped away before Naoko could blink. She smiled as she recognized the symbols of the Uchiha clan. Why should she be surprised at Sasuke picking those two words as a secret passcode?

"Do the rest of you have it?" Sasuke asked as though nothing had happened.

"I got it," Sakura said confidently.

"Eh, you got one a little shorter?" Naruto asked with a sick look.

"No Naruto, that's it."

Naoko grinned at the obvious taunt in Sasuke's voice. _He's enjoying this!_

"Argh, come on!" Sakura berated. "What's wrong? Didn't you get it? I memorized it easy."

"Y-eah, I got it," Naruto stammered. "Sure, I got it, no problem! I just thought it was going to be a pass_word_, not a pass_speech_."

Naoko giggled at the perfect summary.

"All right then," Sasuke replied as he stood up. "I'll take the scroll."

"Now hold on a minute," Naoko snapped, beginning to feel her competetive side rise. "Who says _you_ have to have it?"

_Maybe because he was... the leader? _Oh, yeah that was a good point.

Naruto started to protest as well, but a sudden gust of wind stiffled any further conflict.

Naoko gasped and dug her heels into the ground as the strong winds buffetted them all.

"What is it now?" Sasuke asked in agitation.

A blast echoed through the woods, creating a long, deep furrow in the ground. Sasuke, Naoko, and Sakura scattered. Naruto was nowhere to be seen.

_Where is he now?_ Naoko drew a kunai and activated her sharingan, peering down from her hiding place in a tree. _He's __**always**__ disapearing!_

Finally the dust cleared enough for Naoko to see her teammates. Sakura was standing out in the open, and she gasped as Sasuke leaped out of the bushes.

"Sakura."

"Sasuke!" Sakura cried out as she ran forward. "What was that?"

"Stay there!" Sasuke warned. "First answer the question. When does a ninja strike?"

"Oh," Sakura replied, thinking hard. A ninja waits until the time is right, when the enemy sleeps and drops his guard. When his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night, that is the moment for a ninja to strike."

"Good." Sasuke lowered his kunai, looking relieved.

Naoko swung down from the branch, landing next to Sakura. "What she said," she shrugged.

"That's not the password," Sasuke's growled as he raised his kunai again.

"Yeah, yeah," Naoko rolled her eyes. "Fire and flames - fan I mean. Something like that."

"Let me see your sharingan," Sasuke replied, still suspicious.

Naoko rolled her eyes, then crossed them and let them switch from spinning to stable sharingan. The strain of the kakai-genkai was too much after the added pressure of crossing her eyes, so Naoko quickly reverted her sharingan back to normal.

"Satisfied?" she asked.

Sasuke nodded.

"Heeey! What's up?" Naruto came running over, out of breath. "You guys okay?"

"Don't come any closer!" Sakura ordered. "What's the password?"

"Oh, sure, no problem!" Naruto said confidently. "A ninja waits until the time is right, when the enemy sleeps and drops his guard. When his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night, that is the moment for a ninja to strike!"

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, but Sasuke just smirked and threw a kunai at the orange clad genin.

Naruto barely moved out of the way in time. "What was that? You could have killed me!" he shouted.

"Gotta hand it to you, you're quicker than the last one," Sasuke replied.

Naoko, now suspicious, studied Naruto with her sharingan. She could see no signs of transformation jutsu. "Sasuke, what's wrong?"

"Yeah, he got the password right, word for word!" Sakura pointed out.

"Exactly," Sasuke said calmly. "That's what's wrong." He adressed the genin on the ground. "You really think Naruto could memorize all that? And get it word for word? Not the Naruto I know, not in a million years. You'd have a better chance teaching it to a hamster."

"Oh, right," Sakura said wryly. "You're got a point."

Naoko raised an eyebrow. _Hm, ninja fighting password speaking hamsters. I should try to teach Moe sometime._

"Besides, you saw the way this guy moved when he dodged my attack," Sasuke continued. "That was definately not a Naruto move. All right, come on out, whoever you are! Party's over!"

Naruto gave an evil grin and a pointed dark tongue slithered out of his mouth. "Aren't we the clever one," a woman's voice asked.

Naoko's blood froze as the voice struck a memory.

There was a poof of smoke and the grass ninja with the long purple tongue appeared. "Tell me," she said in a smooth drawl, "If your teammate is really that _dimwitted_, why did you come up with a password that he'd _never_ be able to remember?"

Sasuke's face was triumphant. "You see, it wasn't meant for Naruto but anyone who might happen to be nearby trying to evesdrop on us. It was meant as a trap and you stumbled right into it."

The grass ninja removed her hat, looking horribly pleased. "I'm impressed. You certainly haven't dropped your guard, have you? This promises to be _very_ entertaining." Her long purple tongue slithered out and carressed the brim of her hat.

Naoko fought against the revulsion rising in her at the sight. This woman was disguisting! And so... evil.

The grass ninja put the hat down and drew something out of a pouch at her side. Sakura gasped as the woman produced an earth scroll.

"Ah," the grass ninja commented. "You'd love you get your hands on our earth scroll, wouldn't you? It would go so nicely with your heaven scroll." Sliding her tongue around the scroll, she slowly shoved it down her throat.

Naoko shuddered in at the sickening action.

"Well, when this is all over, one of us will have both scroll," the sound ninja said as she pulled her left eyelid down. "And the other will be _dead_."

Her sharingan didn't move fast enough to warn her. Naoko gasped as she was suddenly pulled into the intense, burning gaze of the grass ninja.

...

**Shisui: "I'm not in - "**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Yes, I know! You're not in the chapter."**

** Shisui: "Well, put me in it."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Listen closely. You. Are. Not. The. Main. Protagonist."**

** Shisui: "I'm the most important character in the book! Without me, Naoko would never have been able to - mph!" (A Tragic Galaxy claps a hand over Shisui's mouth)**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "No spoilers. You talk too much."**

** Nathaniel: "Are you guys about finished?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "He started it!"**

** Kohaku: (From another room) "Hey, I'm trying to sleep here!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: (Moans) "Great, now there's **_**four**_** of you bugging me. That's six of my characters total that have been here so far! How many more of you are going to show up?" (Looks up to sees Itachi and yelps in horror.) "Oh, not you too!"**

** Itachi: "Did I miss something?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Oh, no! Nuh-uh! This is going **_**way**_** too far! You're not even supposed to be here until chapter seventy!"**

** Nathaniel: "Uh, ATG? We're in the manga era."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: (Thunks head on desk) "Great, that's just perfect. Who's next? Suisgetsu or Dan?"**

** Nathaniel: "Too far ahead." (Puts some fresh paper in the printer) "Type."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Yes, Sahib."**

** Shisui: (Shouts exuberantly) "Review!"**

** Itachi: "Hn."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Would you **_**both**_** get out of here!" (Shouts in frustration as Eri, Naruko, Aika, and Raiden suddenly slam open door and tumble into room) "That's it, I quit!"**

** Nathaniel: "This... might get complicated. Review." (Sighs and shakes head as arguing commences amongst the four newcomers)**

** Shisui: "Does this mean I get a part in the next chapter?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: (Shouts from another room) "Itachi, kill him for me!"**

** Itachi: (Glares at Shisui)**

** Shisui: "Mayday, mayday, crazy Uchiha threatened!"**

** Nathaniel: "Would you **_**please**_** get out of here? You're going to scare off the readers! I don't believe this..." (Hastily turns off computer)**

**...Blank Screen...**

** (Shisui tapes a paper on blank screen)**

_Review!_


	21. Orochimaru

**Masa: "My turn to fill in the commentary."**

** Shisui: "This isn't fair!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "We've been through this - "**

** Shisui: "How come **_**he**_** gets a section in the commentary?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Because he's one of the characters."**

** Shisui: "Well, I'm a character!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Hence your place in the commentary. It's not like I could keep you away anyhow. You tend to show up whether I want it or not."**

** Shisui: (Grins cheekily)**

** Masa: "Do I have to put up with this every time?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Sadly there's no way to be rid of him. I have to keep him around so I can put him in later chapters."**

** Shisui: "See! The whole story would go kaput without me around!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Now **_**that**_** I can argue. Watch it or I'll kill you off in the next chapter."**

** Shisui: "Hm... kinda hard to lead an army when you're dead. How are you going to explain to the readers when you have to 'bring me back to life' a second time?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Phooey."**

** Shisui: "I win."**

** Masa: "I hate this guy."**

** Shisui: "HEY! Technically speaking I could be your sensei right now, so you'd better start treating me with some respect!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "You don't deserve any respect, Shisui."**

** Shisui: "I beg to differ!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Let's see... you term yourself as 'fish-head,' in the author's note you're 'water dragon,' you happen to - "**

** Shisui: "Are we just going to spend this whole time insulting me?"**

** Nathaniel: "Guys, stop talking! We're supposed to be filming right now!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Roll film!"**

** Masa: "Do I ever get a chance to talk?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "We'll talk about that later - Roll Film!"**

**...**

"Don't you think you should check on your snake now?"

Ryuu rolled his eyes as Aika blanched at the thought. "Really, we've been here for hours. He's bound to have caught something by this time."

Masa nodded and gave Aika a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you're not around."

She nodded and gulped.

"And _I'll_ protect you in case Masa breaks his promise!" Ryuu leapt to stand next to his Flower Chan.

Aika twisted her ponytail anxiously. "Just get it over with, will you? I'll wait back here."

"Are you sure you don't want one of us to stay - "

"Just go!" Aika snapped, cutting Ryuu off mid-sentence. Masa and Ryuu shrugged, then left.

"Do you hear something?" Ryuu cupped a hand to his ear as they searched the forest.

"LET ME OUT OF HEEERE!" a voice shouted.

Masa grinned sheepishly. "I think snakey found us a scroll."

"I'll make you regret you ever swallowed me you stinkin - " more grunts were heard as the snake's bloated body slithered into view.

Masa grinned and stepped up to the giant reptile. "Okay, spit him up. We can't get the scroll if it's digested you know."

The snake started attempting to regurgitate its pitiful victim, but accidently contracted the wrong way, pushing the screaming object further down its stomach.

"No! Let me out! Sakura, Sasuke, GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

Ryuu's eyes widened in horror. "MASA, YOUR STUPID SNAKE IS EATING MY COMPETITION!" he shouted. "Do something!"

"Ah," Masa grimaced, "Wrong way, your royal slitherness."

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Whoah, hold on a minute!" Masa shrieked. "No! Not that! You'll kill the snake!"

Running towards the monstrous snake, he launched a powerful kick right behind the bulge in its belly. Naruto shot out like a cork from a bottle and hit a tree with a sticky, wet _splat_.

"You idiot!" Masa yelled. "What are you trying to do, decimate any possibility of Shiro's family reunion?"

"Please tell me you're not inviting a bunch of snakes over," Ryuu muttered.

"Well no, but that's not the point," Masa responded.

The giant snake spat out a mouthful of goo, shaking its head in disguist.

"Thanks by the way," Masa told it.

The snake hissed in his face and dove into the forest.

"I don't think he likes you anymore," Ryuu pointed out.

"Oh, shut it," Masa grumbled as he stepped over to the slime covered blond genin. "You okay?"

"Dah!" Naruto grimaced and rubbed his head. "What was that?"

"Who, Snakey? He's just a friend." By the blank look on Naruto's face, Masa suspected few genin were known to keep over large snakes as 'pets.' Clearing his throat, he held out his hand. "I'll be taking that scroll now. Don't make me sic my snake on you again."

"Just try and get it!" Naruto looked ready to start a battle when Ryuu ran up.

"Wait, let him keep it Masa!"

Masa swung around to face him. "What's wrong with you? I thought we were supposed to be _passing_ this test. He has a heaven scroll. We need one. What is the problem?"

Ryuu grabbed Masa's arm and pulled him aside. "He's an Uzamaki," he growled into Masa's ear.

"Which means..."

"HOW OFTEN DO YOU FIND A LIVE UZAMAKI ANYMORE!

Masa leaned back under the force of Ryuu's shouts. "Ummm, what's up with you?"

Naruto picked himself up off the ground and walked over. "Wait, you want me to pass because I'm an Uzamaki?"

Ryuu crossed his arms and glared at the blond genin. "No, I just want you to make it to the third part of the exams so I can properly destroy you. I'm not going to let some stupid _snake_ get all the glory."

"Ryuu, he's a reptile. They're not stupid."

Ryuu shoved Masa aside. "I'm talking to the blondie. Tell you what, kid. I need a heaven scroll and you need an earth one, right?"

Naruto nodded.

"So if we work together long enough to get to the finals, then we can eachother. That sound okay?"

"All right!" Naruto shouted. "Finally someone understands the power of the Uzamaki clan!"

"Actually, I just hate you," Ryuu shrugged. "I'd better go get Aika. You should probably go find your own team. We'll meet up close to the tower."

"A deal's a deal!" Naruto gave a thumbs up and grinned. "We'll be there before you! Believe it!"

"Yeah, yeah," Ryuu called over his shoulder.

...

Naoko couldn't move.

_Screams. Cries of pain. Blood everywhere, covering the floors. Okasan! Pain, all the way down her arms, blood running through her fingers. Footsteps coming closer. Glittering eyes staring at her. Moonlight flashing on a katana. Otousan, no! Blood spraying onto her face. Laughter. Running footsteps. Glittering eyes. Fear. Blood, the scent strong in her nostrils. A wolf howling..._

The howl continued to echo through her brain. Naoko's eyes snapped open and she ducked just in time to avoid being skewered through the forehead by a flying kunai.

_Run! _every instinct in her body commanded. _I have to run!_ She didn't know what she was doing. All she could sense was the blind fear coursing through her, pushing her to the limit as she leapt into a tree and hid in its high branches. Only when she felt she was safe did she remember she had left someone behind.

_Sasuke!_

...

Naoko peered down through the branches. There was a splattering of blood on the ground, and two kunai were pinned to a tree limb. Sakura and Sasuke were nowhere to be seen.

"Sasuke, are you sure you'll be okay?"

Naoko swung her head up at Sakura's voice and spotted her two teammates perched on another tree limb. She let out a sigh of relief, her cheeks burning with shame. She had abandoned them when they were in danger! Naoko had always considered herself to be brave. Why had she panicked in an intense situation?

Just then Sasuke lashed out a hand and clapped it over Sakura's mouth. Naoko could see blood dripping from a stab wound on his leg.

Sakura looked terrified, and as Naoko took a closer look at Sasuke, she could see the panicked expression on his face. Naoko felt her heart leap into her throat. If Sasuke was afraid, she knew there was far greater reason to worry.

Strangely though, a feeling of calm settled over her. Sasuke was losing it, and Sakura was no help. It seemed she was the only one in control of her emotions. When did that happen?

Naoko slowly crept down from her perch on the tree, trying not to draw the grass ninja's attention. Suddenly, Sakura screamed!

"Sasuke, look out!"

Naoko dove the rest of the way to the ground and stared in horror as a giant snake drove its fangs into the limb where Sakura and Sasuke had been. The two genin barely escaped in time.

The snake wound itself around a tree even as Naoko ran forward. It launched itself at lighting speed towards Sasuke.

"NO! Stay away!" Sasuke was absolutely terrified as he threw a group of shurikens at the snake. His outward show of fear made Naoko more concerned than ever. The shurikens slice into the snake's head, and it dropped like a stone.

Sasuke crouched on a branch, breathing hard. He gave a stiffled gasp as the snake's neck began splitting apart.

"I sense your fear and desperation," the grass ninja spoke as she slowly imerged from the snake.

Naoko's blood froze and she felt her courage flee.

"It's only natural," the woman continued. "The prey must never let down its guard, not even for a moment." She looked up, her eyes wild with thirst for blood. "In the presence of its predator!" Twisting her long purple tongue out, she launched herself at Sasuke.

Naoko's sharingan spun into formation against her will. Suddenly her fear vanished as she realized her teammates' peril.

The snake-lady literally _slithered_ her way up the branches, moving so fast that Naoko's sharingan was hard put to keep up. She knew she wouldn't be able to intercept the fangs in time.

Just then several kunai buried themselves in the tree, stopping the grass ninja in her tracks.

"Looks like I came just in time!" Naruto's voice rang out. Naoko never felt happier to see anyone in her life.

"Oh, and by the way," Naruto continued, "What was that password again?"

"Forget it, I know it's you!" Sakura responded. "You made it!"

The grass ninja aimed a dark glare at Naruto.

"Naruto! Get out of here!" Sasuke shouted. "What are you thinking? You don't know what you're up against!" His voice bordered on hysteria.

Naoko stiffened. Sasuke was truly out of control now. What was wrong with him? Did he have similar visions to her own? Why had they paralized him though? He had always been so strong...

"Hurry!" Sasuke turned to face the blond genin. "Go now! While you still can!"

"So Naruto, you managed to escape my friend," the grass ninja drawled from the branch her body had twisted several times around. "Well done."

"Wait, that was your snake?" Naruto asked, his expression confused. "I thought it was that other guy's."

The snake-lady stiffened. "What other guy?" she asked blandly.

Naruto evaded the question. "Okay, okay, I don't know what's goin' on here, but you've been picking on my friends! And I don't like that!"

_Keep talking, Naruto._ Naoko took the opportunity to move closer without catching the grass ninja's notice.

"So you'd better just slither on down to your hole Snake-lady, before I make a pair of shoes outta ya!"

The grass ninja watched Naruto with an amused expression.

"You can have it," Sasuke's voice broke in. Naoko looked up from the base of the tree in surprise.

Sasuke reached into the pouch at his side and pulled out the heaven scroll. "The scroll, right? That's what you want. All right, then! Take us and leave us in peace!"

"Sasuke, what are you doing!" Naoko shouted up at him.

"Sasuke, are you crazy or what?" Naruto echoed. "We're gonna just hand the scroll over to the enemy? No way! What's wrong with you?"

"Shut up and stay out of it!" Sasuke yelled.

Naoko couldn't tell if he had really lost it, or if he was just bluffing his fear. _Why do you always have to be so hard to read, Sasuke?_

"Very wise," the snake lady drew her torso higher. "Very sensible. Sometimes the helpless prey, if they are to save their own skins, realize that their own hope is to distract the predator with something even more precious."

"Take it," Sasuke spat as he tossed it over.

"No!" Naoko's hesitation had cost her, and even as she leapt she knew it was too late. She could only watch helplessly as the scroll brushed by her fingertips and towards the grass ninja's oustretched hand.

Naruto was just in time. The limb he had been standing on was far closer to the snake-lady than Naoko's position on the ground. Even without sharingan he reached the branch faster than she. There was a blur of motion as he sped past and grabbed the scroll.

Naoko growled and took advantage of her position. Grabbing the tree limb, she swung her boot into the grass ninja's jaw.

The ninja yowled as several teeth went flying. Naoko let herself fall back to the ground as fast as possible, but the damage had been done. Her eyes shining with bloodlust, the snake-lady charged.

Naoko did the first insensible thing that came into her head. Without even trying to break her fall, she let her body slam into the ground and roll into a tree. The world spun around her crazily as her head exploded with lights, but she forced herself fall back and play dead.

It worked momentarily as the grass ninja hesitated. Another moment would have made all of Naoko's efforts to be done in vain, but Naruto came to the rescue once again.

Naoko opened her eyes as a forceful punch was heard, and she saw the grass ninja slam into a tree at Naruto's attack. The blond genin instantly went flying as the grass ninja retaliated, and the snake-lady quickly pulled up her sleeve and drew a line of blood along the tatoo on her wrist.

"Summoning Jutsu!" she hissed as she went through a series of hand signals. An enormous snake appeared underneath her.

"Naruto!" Sakura called out as the snake raised its ugly head. It slammed itself into a tree, barely missing Naruto.

Naoko rolled to her feet and ignored the pounding in her head. Dropping from a tree was probably not the smartest escape route she could have chosen. Leaping into the trees, she determined to help Naruto as best as she could.

...

**Masa: "Finally. ATG does not own Naruto, or the Uchiha clan, or anything else related."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "But I do own the original characters."**

** Masa: "That's... insulting."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Okay fine, I'm responsible for bringing you guys into the fanfiction world. That sound better?"**

** Masa: "Somewhat."**

** Shisui: "Am I in it?"**

** Masa and ATG: "NO, YOU'RE NOT IN IT!"**

** Shisui: (Whines) "Aw, man!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Where's 'Tachi?"**

** Shisui: (Grumps) "Does it matter?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Just making sure he's not trying to kill you."**

** Masa: "Uhhhh, we're a little too ahead for that."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Oh. Well I guess that clears up a few things. For the reader's information, we're commenting live from manga era 500-something-or-other, which means everyone's older than they are portrayed in the first Naruto series. Except the author that is."**

** Shisui: "ATG has sworn she's going to remain sixteen for the rest of her life."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Very funny! I'm nearly eighteen now, thank you very much."**

** Shisui: "I'm just saying - "**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Shisui!" **

** Nathianiel: "You guys are taking up the film!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: (Calls over shoulder) "Whatev!" (Turns back to readers) "Review!"**


	22. The Jinchuriki Courage

"You lost him? How could you lose him, he's wearing purple!"

"Shut up, Raiden!" Etsuko snapped. She stared at the two sound ninjas far below. Kabuto had disapeared, and _he_ was the one bearing the scroll. _Where did he run off to?_

"Well that's just great," Raiden complained. "First we're already late because somebody wanted for follow their boyfriend, and now said pretty boy has disapeared and he took the scroll with him! We'll never get to the gates in time!"

"Shut up, Raiden!" Etsuko shouted in his face. "I said there's something fishy going on here! Team members don't just leave the group and go wandering around alone with their team scroll. Something is up."

"Yeah, the sky. And Etsuko's head! Get out of your dream world, Mari!"

"All right, both of you." Takumi's calm voice was unnaturally harsh.

He turned to face Etsuko, speaking in a more negotiable tone. "Raiden's right. We won't get anywhere tracking Kabuto. I know you don't trust him, but we didn't come here to solve mysteries. Satoro expects us to get the job finished and get back home."

Etsuko folded her arms and glared at them. "Fine. But if this turns out to be something far more deadly than you originally thought, then don't blame me for it."

"Agreed," Tukomi said quickly. "Can we go now?"

Etsuko sighed harshly and stalked off. "_Come _on."

...

"I still don't think you know what you're doing," Chinatsu hissed to her twin brother as they hid in the trees.

"Shh!" Katsuro responded.

Tsukiko sat still on the rock, her palms sweaty and her heart racing. In her hands she held a piece of tan wadded up cloth that was fashioned to look like an heaven scroll. Her knees were starting to knock together, and she desperately hoped someone would arrive soon.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't a little lost Chihua genin," a sneering voice called out.

Three tall leaf genin, two boys and a girl, stepped out of the treeline.

"What's the matter, little girl?" one of the boys wearing a green shirt asked. "Did you lose your team to the forest of death?"

Tsukiko's chin trembled and a tear slid down her face.

"Aw, leave it alone," the girl snapped. "Just take the scroll and let's get out of here."

Katsuro and Chinatsu exchanged a wink. _Bingo!_

"Lighting power jutsu!" Katsuro shouted as he put his hands together in the tiger symbol. At the same time Chinatsu unleashed a barrage of throwing needles while Tsukiko scrambled into the small cave they had previously dug under the rock she was sitting on.

The leaf genin might have escaped the needles, but they were not prepared for an elemental attack. Lighting seared through the sky and hit the first needle, starting a chain reaction of electricity. Bolts of glaring white energy jumped across the throwing needles while they were still mid-air. Three controlled branches leaped forward and struck the leaf genin's forehead guards. The genin screamed as electricity coursed through their body. One of the boys and the girl fell unconscious immediately, as the forehead guards had been tied on their head. The last boy had attached to his wrist, and it took a well aimed throwing needle to a pressure point for him to finally join the others on the floor.

Katsuro immediately shut off the chakra flow, breathing heavily.

Tsukiko scrambled out from the cave, covered in dirt. She checked quickly to make sure the leaf genin were still alive, then triumphantly pulled an earth scroll from one of the genin's side pouches.

"That's it then," Katsuro said proudly. "Good job, Tsukiko. We'll be the first team finished."

Tsukiko blushed, her face beaming.

Chiuta grinned. "Maybe we'll even beat the sand village. I hear their genin are exceptional."

"Well, nothing's too exceptional for the Chihua to beat," Katsuro grinned. "Unless we stand around talking that is. Let's get out of here before we get beaten by a bunch of leaf genin."

...

"Beat you!"

"Why you little weasels!" Katsuro glared as Ryuu waved to them at the gates.

Ryuu shrugged helplessly. "Couldn't help it, mate."

"You cheated, didn't you!" Katsuro accused.

Ryuu grinned cheekily. "No one saw. Looks to me like you guys did a bit of sneaking around the rules yourself."

Katsuro shook his head. "Fair and square. We didn't have to use anything special. Every tried depending on _skill_ _alone_?"

Ryuu sniffed. "We did use skill. Just one that Satoru Sensei advised against."

"Yeah, that's exactly the point," Katsuro replied.

"Well, we would have been here earlier actually," Ryuu pointed out, "but I was waiting for a troup of leaf genin to catch up. See, we made a bargain and - "

"And we ended up waiting half an hour when they didn't show up," Masa berated. "If Aika hadn't insisted you start moving, we'd never have gotten here!"

"Hey, we were just in time! If we hadn't waited, another team would have snapped it up!"

"Was it that simple?" Katsuro asked in mild surprise.

"Uh, yeah, it just kind of fell into our hands most conviniently," Ryuu rubbed the back of his neck.

Chinatsu winced. "Do I want to know?"

"Nah," Ryuu shrugged. "Someone got caught in a giant venus fly trap seconds before we arrived. We got the scroll all right but..." He grimaced, then his face brightened. "Well, that's less competition, right?"

"You are disguisting," Chinatsu rolled her eyes as Tsukiko fainted. She looked outside to where a team was just appearing on the fringe of the woods. "Is that the sand village?"

"Hah! We beat them after all!" Katsuro cheered.

...

"What a tasty little morsel you'll make for him," the grass ninja taunted Naruto as the giant snake regarded him with yellow eyes. "Careful, he likes to play with his food."

_Just give me ten seconds here, Naruto_. Naoko carefully positioned herself in the branches above the grass ninja's head and prepared to jump. Then she yelped and leapt back as the snake's tail swung through the air, smashing the branches where she had been sitting and thwacking the limb where Naruto was perched. At first Naoko was relieved that the genin was okay, but a backwards tail swipe crashed through the limb Naruto was on, sending him crashing through several tree limbs until he finally slammed into the underside of a branch.

"Enough playing," the grass ninja told her snake calmly as she watched the genin fall. "Finish him off."

Naoko streaked past the grass ninja, not caring anymore if she were seen.

She knew she wasn't going to get there in time.

_Come on, don't let me down this time! _ "Sharingan!"

As the pressure of the situation weighed down on her, she felt herself begin to move just a _little _faster. Her spinning sharingan switched off abruptly, and she nearly lost her balance as the world jumped back into normal color.

_No! What's going on?_

Suddenly pressure exploded behind her eyes and the world began to slow. Her feet moving faster than she had ever expected, Naoko leapt out and reached towards the falling Naruto.

His eyes flashed open just as her fingertips reached his jacket. Naoko gasped and pulled back. The irises were deep red and animalistic. Hatred oozed from their depths.

"Naruto?" Naoko had never seen anything like this before.

She felt a strange anger rise in her, something she couldn't explain. Power of a strange nature crackled around Naruto, and as Naoko's spinning sharingan screamed into motion, she saw the outline of a fox began to take form. The fury inside of her boiled over at the sight, and it was all Naoko could do to resist killing her own teammate.

_What's wrong with me!_ she realized in panic. _Why do I suddenly hate him?_

Naruto didn't seem to notice her reaction though. "Hyah! Eat this!" he screamed at the snake as he slammed a foot on its nose.

Naoko twisted mid-air, leaping onto the snake head and launching herself into a tree.

"But how? It's impossible!" the grass ninja's eyes narrowed as she watched Naruto come in for another charge.

Naoko sumersaulted off the tree limb as Naruto began punching the snake over and over again.

_ I don't think a bloody nose is about to hamper a gigantor reptile,_ Naoko considered as she landed lightly behind the grass ninja. With Naruto distracting the snake-lady, maybe Naoko could get a chance to attack from behind...

There was a suddenhiss, and the snake-lady twisted her head back far more than any ninja should be capable of. Naoko leaped forward with her kunai drawn. The snake-lady seemed to be moving in slow motion, but she smiled triumphantly even as Naoko moved forward.

Naoko felt something slam into her head, and she felt herself crashing through the trees. She had forgotten to watch for the snake tail.

Naoko almost blacked out as several tree branches smashed under her weight. Plummeting to the ground, her fall was cushioned unexpectedly as she slammed into Sakura.

Sakura shrieked as Naoko plowed her over, and the two of them crashed into the underbrush.

"Oof!" Naoko grunted as she fell back against a boulder. She shook her head to get the stars out of her vision. "Sorry about that Sakura, are you okay?"

"I think I'll be all right," Sakura winced as she pushed herself up. "What about you?"

Naoko rolled her eyes. "Never _better_," she said sarcastically as she scrambled out to find her other teammates.

Naruto had just launched off a tree trunk for another charge when the snake-lady blew a wreath of fire from her mouth, encasing the Uzamaki and throwing him back through several more tree branches.

"Oh, this isn't good," Naoko muttered.

"Where did he get that kind of power?" Sakura asked.

Naoko shuddered, forcing her spinning sharingan to stabilize. As the outline of fiery charka surrounding Naruto disapeared, her anger melted away. _What was that?_

"Now then," Naoko looked up as the snake-lady began speaking. "Let's see how well you do, Sasuke."

The reptile streaked towards Sasuke, but he didn't move. It was almost as though he were frozen in panic.

"Sasuke, move!" Naoko screamed as the snake drew closer. She sped up the tree, her stable sharingan providing her with more speed than she ever thought possible. _Hurry!_

There was a flash of orange, then a world shaking impact as the snake's head slammed into the tree branch. Naoko grabbed Sasuke's shirt and pulled him away from the giant snake head, then halted her mad flight as she realized why it had stopped just short of the Uchiha.

Naruto was braced against the snake head, his chest heaving as he held two kunai embedded in the snake's nose.

"Hey, you're not hurt are ya?" Naruto asked between gasps for air.

Sasuke stared at the orange clad ninja, still unmoving.

Naruto lifted his head to face the Uchiha, his voice harsh. "You scaredy-cat!"

Naoko gasped slightly, but she knew the words were painfully true.

"Standing there frozen, like a frightened rabbit!" Naruto continued accusing. "No way! You're not the Sasuke I know!"

Naoko swung a shocked look in Sasuke's direction, letting him know that she too was confused about his sudden change in attitude.

Then the grass ninja's long purple tongue slithered down, wrapping around Naruto's arms and waist and pulling him into the air.

"Hey! Aw, man, _disguisting!_ Put me down before I yank this tongue out of your head!" Naruto shouted as he struggled in vain.

Naoko shot Sasuke a quick glare, furious that he was still standing petrified. Shoving him into the tree trunk, she activated her spinning sharingan, watching the world slide into ruby and black shades.

The outline of the fox reappeared around Naruto, and Naoko felt the anger rise again at the sight. She forced herself to focus the anger on the grass ninja, but some small part of it still remained directed against Naruto. Her adrenaline providing her with an unusually powerful chakra boost, Naoko slammed her fist into the snake's nose.

As she expected, the snake was pure chakra. Her hand instantly began absorbing the power, but Naoko directed her anger against it, forcing it to switch off. As a final blow, she directed the chakra she accidently gleaned from Sasuke earlier when she had fainted as well as the snake power she had managed to absorb when punching the snake, into the reptile's head. It exploded on impact.

Naoko felt all sorts of nasty things pelt her as she flew back through the branches from the force of the chakra blast. Twisting around and slamming her feet into a tree, she launched herself forward again - only to hesitate in surprise.

Her spinning sharingan finally revealed to her what she had neglected to check before. As it focused onto the snake-lady's chakra, Naoko realized with a start that she was not trying to punch out any normal ninja. This was something far too powerful for her!

The snake-lady was no lady, first of all. Whatever _it_ was, it was definately a man. Naoko didn't know why she hadn't seen it with her sharingan in the first place. She'd been too busy getting mad at Naruto. The next thing she realized was that this _creature_ had far more power than humanly possible. Whatever he was, it was not something that either she nor Sasuke could fight. He would kill them without a second thought. For the first time, Naoko recognized Sasuke's fear.

But she couldn't leave Naruto in that _thing's_ clutches! Even as she watched, the snake-creature pushed a handfull of purple fire into Naruto's stomach. Naoko gasped softly as the fox outline died down, then disappeared completely as Naruto fell unconscious.

_What did she __**do**__?_

Looking over at her other teammates, Naoko growled softly. Obviously Sasuke wasn't about to do anything. He was too petrified. Preparing herself what could be her last battle, Naoko tore apart one of her side pouches and tied the strips of cloth around her hands. She could _not_ touch that thing. There was so much power involved, she suspected that if she absorbed even a fraction of the creature's chakra it would kill her.

Naoko didn't notice the large snake hovering over her a growing shadow warned her of its presense. Realizing it was too late to run, Naoko could only watch in horror as its head swung towards her. Then darkness fell.

...

**Shisui: "Wow, you really have an obsession with your characters fainting, don't you."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "She didn't faint. She fell unconscious. And I like to think of it as making up for the fact that I've never fainted in my entire life. I feel like I've missed something."**

** Shisui: "Yeah, you missed putting me in your story." (Shuffles through the script) "I don't see me **_**anywhere**_** in this thing! Let's see, Ryuu, Sasuke, Ryuu, Ryuu... Since when did this guy get so popular?"**

** Ryuu: (Peeks his head around the door) "You called?"**

** Shisui: "See what I mean? He even gets his own personal section in the author's note!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "And you being here means..."**

** Shisui: "It means **_**I**_** am someone important enough to make mention of in **_**every**_** chapter."**

** Ryuu: "Oh, yeah, you're important all right. Danzo even stole your eyes since they were so powerful. It's really fun to be popular, isn't it."**

** Shisui: (Slams head onto table and cries) "I miss my arm!" (Lifts right arm into the air) "Look at it!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Uhhh, Shisui? It's still there."**

** Shisui: (Lifts head in surprise) "Oh. Do I still get to yell at Danzo?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "That'll come later in the story. Don't you guys have something to do by the way? Training? Walking Kakashi's dog? I'm supposed to be writing now."**

** Shisui: (Snores) "Zzzzzz."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "I guess... that works..."**

** Ryuu: "Idiot."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Yeah, well any minute I'm going to fall asleep myself if I don't get some coffee."**

** Nathaniel: "I told you staying up until two in the morning was going to have reprucussions."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Yeah, yeah. Just get the coffee, will ya."**

** Nathaniel: "Review."**


	23. Snake Attack

**Shisui: "You know, you missed the beginning commentary for your last chapter."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "I know. I wanted to let the humor of the purple shirt wearing grey-haired weirdo sink in."**

** Shisui: "What humor?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: (Sighs in exhasperation) "Never mind."**

** Masa: "ATG does not own anything. Please do not flame the author."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "You're the one to be talking about flames. I've got a bunch of Uchihas I have to deal with. Seems everyone's mad at me for not adding them in the chapters."**

** Masa: "Well when you think about it, there have only been four Uchihas mentioned so far. The entire clan contained approximately - "**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Okay, okay! We don't need to go into the math right now."**

** Masa: "I was just saying that - "**

** Shisui: "Don't. We'll never get you off the topic."**

** Masa: (Looks disgruntled) "Well fine then, seeing as I'm not needed here..." (Starts to leave)**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Don't go yet, Masa. I need someone to keep my sanity in check."**

** Shisui: "I thought that's why **_**I**_** was for."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: (Glares) "You are the reason my brain is in jeopardy."**

** Shisui: "Ouch."**

** Kohaku: "Uchihas."**

** Shisui: "Hey, I resent that!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Whatev! Roll film!"**

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"Sasuke!"

The shout broke into the fog in Naoko's brain, pulling her towards consciousness. _What happened?_

She forced her eyes open, wincing as the sunlight pierced her brain. The world looked fuzzy, and she saw her broken glasses lying a small ways away. _Brilliant._

"Say what you like about Naruto," Naoko heard Sakura's voice shout from the tree tops. "That he's a pest, that he gets in the way, that he's just a kid! But at least he's... he's doing something! At least he's not a coward! Sasuke!"

Rolling so that she leaned on her elbows, Naoko fumbled with her shattered glasses. They were a hopeless mess. Naoko leaned her head back against the tree she had fallen next to and closed her eyes. She wished she could see what was going on. Activating her spinning sharingan, she opened her eyes and looked around. Color melted into ruby and obsidian, and the world drew into sharper focus.

Naoko breathed a sigh of relief and pulled herself up against the tree. She hurt too much to move. Gazing upwards, she zoomed her sharingan towards Sasuke.

He was standing in the light of the sun, gazing upwards. Naoko could see the pride in his stance. The pride of the Uchiha clan.

Then Sasuke ducked his head, his face showing his struggle.

"No!" he suddenly shouted, his head snapping up to face the snake-man. He flipped a kunai from his side pouch, clapping it between his teeth.

Naoko smiled softly. _Good for you, Sasuke. Nice to see you back._

Sasuke ran forward as the grass ninja slammed a blast of chakra into the tree limb. Leaping into the air, Sasuke cleared the blast and flung a series of kunai towards the grass ninja. His movements were so swift that even with her sharingan, Naoko had difficulty keeping him in her sights. The snake-man dodged the multiple kunai without breaking a sweat, and equally blocked Sasuke's next series of punches with no difficulty.

Naoko didn't know how the grass ninja could be moving so swiftly. He was almost faster than Sasuke. Obviously this man had great power beyond what her sharingan was revealing.

As the grass ninja began darting around the clearing at lighting speed, Sasuke blew a plume of flame towards him. Naoko's eyes widened at her friend's capabilities. Her spinning sharingan was still only in its first stages of development, and the grass ninja's movements had become a blur to her. Sasuke had managed to aim his fire jutsu dead on target.

Still the grass ninja escaped however, and smashed across the tree limb in an attempt to break Sasuke's leg. Sasuke dove backwards, and the fighters paused for a minute.

Naoko felt her heart swell with pride. Naruto had been correct in his accusation of Sasuke acting like a frightened rabbit in the beginning. Sasuke had been acting like anything but an Uchiha. (Well, unless you counted Shisui that is.) Now however, he was refusing to back down from an unmatchable foe - and he was winning!

"You can see my moves, can't you?" the snake-man taunted in his eerily femenine voice. "Hyuaah!"

A sudden blast of chakra tore apart the limb the two ninjas were standing on. Sasuke dived from branch to branch then dove towards the grass ninja. Grabbing him around the waist, Sasuke twisted the snake-man's body around until the ninja was upside down. A horrible scream filled the air. Naoko gasped and covered her eyes just before the grass ninja's head was driven into a tree limb.

When she peeked from behind her hands, Naoko wished she hadn't. The grass ninja's eyes were wide open, his body twitching. Naoko turned and retched at the sight. Wiping her mouth, she stood up and deactivated her spinning sharingan. She didn't want to see any more details on the matter.

Just then she heard the sploosh of liquid as something hit the ground near her. Naoko clapped a hand to her mouth and instinctively looked to see what had hit the ground. _Probably the guy's BRAINS! _she shuddered.

When she saw what it was, Naoko started in shock and reactivated her spinning sharingan just to make sure. The gloppy liquid falling from the tree was... mud.

_Oh no, a substitution jutsu!_

"Substitution!" Sasuke yelled, and then grunted as a kunai sliced his cheek.

Naoko screamed as a hurricane of kunai flew towards Sasuke, but the Uchiha somehow managed to escape the barrage, flinging out several wire chords to stop his free fall off the tree limb.

Naoko scrambled up to help her teammate, but her legs refused to work right and she fell to her knees. _Blast!_ She had over-exceeded the limits of her body. Naoko tried once again to stand, but once again she couldn't make past her hands and knees before she collapsed.

_Sasuke. _Naoko's heart fell as the snake-man attacked again, his blows raining down on the raven haired genin. Sasuke, taken by surprise, could only attempt to put up a weak defense before another fist would plow into him.

"Sasuke!" Sakura cried out as a last punch floored the Uchiha.

The grass ninja stood over the fallen genin, triumph written all over his features.

"What a disapointment you turned out to be," the grass ninja drawled. "Your ancestors _weep_. The Uchiha clan should _thank_ me for killing you."

**Shisui: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Shisui, get out of the movie!"**

** Shisui: "He's insulting the Uchiha clan!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Dude, get out of there! You're ruining the readers' experience!"**

** Shisui: "Oops. Sorry about that." (Grins sheepishly at Sakura, who is giving him a blank stare)**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Shisui!"**

** Shisui: "Okay, okay, I'm gone, I'm gone." (Runs into distance) **

** A Tragic Galaxy: (Groans) "Sorry, guys. Can we retake that scene?"**

** ...**

"What a disapointment you turned out to be," the grass ninja drawled. "Your ancestors _weep_. The Uchiha clan should _thank_ me for killing you. Silly little _worm._"

Naoko growled, rage beginning to course through her veins. It fueled her adrenaline levels, giving her the strength to stumble to her feet. _That's it! You are so dead, Mister Whatsyourname! So help me, when I get finished you'll wish you'd __**never**__ gotten brought up the name 'Uchiha!'!_

Naoko didn't have a chance for revenge however, as the back of the grass ninja's tunic suddenly exploded! The snake-man fell forward with a cry, and Sasuke leapt to his feet. Naoko stared open mouthed as Sasuke threw a series of rigged shuriken. As he pulled the strings tight they wrapped around the grass ninja, binding him to the tree.

_Wow, I just wasted my anger for nothing? I should've known Sasuke could take care of himself._

As she watched, Sasuke executed a series of hand signals, creating a burst of flames that tore forward and surrounded the grass ninja. Naoko clapped her hands over her ears and tried to block out the screaming as the powerful flames blasted a hole in the tree trunk.

By the time the flames died down, the entire tree had been converted to charcoal. Sasuke nearly collapsed on the tree limb, utterly spent. The snake-man was limp against the tree. Sighing in relief, Naoko deactivated her spinning sharingan and sat down heavily. _I'm getting a ten hour snooze after this, mark my words._

"Sasuke!" Sakura cried out happily as she ran down towards Sasuke. "You did it!" Her voice grew concerned as Sasuke gasped for breath and nearly fell over from exhaustion. "You okay? Don't worry, it's all over."

But it wasn't. Naoko felt a shudder of fear trickle down her spine as the sound of wires snapping echoed through the still forest.

_No._

A blur of tan moved away from the tree trunk, and Naoko saw a pink blur collapse to the ground. Hastily she activated her spinning sharingan, but the overuse of her chakra made it fuzzier than usual. Sasuke's figure faded in and out, but Naoko quickly realized that somehow the snake-creature had paralized her companions yet again.

_How does he keep suriviving? Why did we even try to take him on in the first place?_

The snake-creature adressed Sasuke, ignoring Naoko where she was still collapsedon the ground. "Such mastery of the sharingan at so young an age," the grass ninja's voice split into duo tones, then broke off into a raspy, masculine tone. "You're a true Uchiha after all. Yes, he'll do nicely."

Sasuke lunged forward but was stopped by the paralization jutsu. He gave a yell of frustration, but Naoko only heard the snake-man's words as he spoke again.

"You are definately his brother. If anything your eyes are even keener than Itachi's."

"Who are you, what do you want?" Sasuke yelled.

The snake-creature chuckled coldly as it flipped their heaven scroll. "My name is Orochimaru. But as to what I want, that will have to wait until we meet again, which won't happen until you pass this test with the best score of all." The scroll began to dissentrigate in a green flame.

"The scroll!" Sakura cried, but Orochimaru ignored her.

"First you'll have to defeat the hidden sound ninja who serve me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Sakura growled as her fear instigated the Haruno temper. "But if you're finished, why don't you just _beat it_! If we never meet again it'll be too soon!"

"Oh," Orochimaru rasped, "He and I will meet again."

Naoko's heart jumped into her throat. Orochimaru made an unknown sign with his fingers, and suddenly his head sped towards Sakura and Sasuke, the neck supporting it stretched like a limp noodle.

The head lashed towards Sasuke faster than Naoko could blink, and with a hiss Orochimaru latched his mouth around the Uchiha's neck.

Naoko could hear Sakura's cry of horror, but her eyes were on Sasuke as time seemed to stop.

His eyes wide in shock, Sasuke gave a few sharp gasps as the agony displayed on his face. Naoko's world went red.

Screaming at the top of her lungs, she launched herself off the forest floor and charged at the snake-man. Orochimaru unlatched his jaws from Sasuke's neck and began retracting his head. Before the ninja's head could make it past Sakura however, the blare of Naoko's spinning sharingan appeared next to it.

Naoko saw Orochimaru's head leer triumphantly as she attacked. Too rage filled to think straight, she aimed not for the head, but the neck extending behind it.

Orochimaru gave a yell of suprise and pain as Naoko's fist buried itself in the distended muscle. Naoko paid no attention as she rammed another fist just behind the ninja's ear. Relishing in the snake-man's pain, she grabbed his neck with her cloth bound hands and twisted onto the tree limb, hoping to make the creature lash out enough to break its own neck.

She underestimated Orochimaru's abilities however. The yellow eyes glittered with taunting laughter as Orochimaru's neck stretched like putty in her hands. Twisting around, the grass ninja's head lashed out and buried its fangs in Naoko's neck.

Naoko's breath stopped as a cold, burning liquid gushed into her bloodstream, followed by an impossible wave of power! Orochimaru screamed and jerked his head away, and Naoko felt something snap and remain lodged in her neck. Naoko let out a scream of pain as an immense quantity of chakra coursed through her body. Her eyes moved as slow as mud to look at Orochimaru. She saw his head return to his body, then his hand clapped against his bloody mouth. Vaguely she heard Sakura shouting, but she couldn't tell where it was coming from. Her hands fell limply to her sides, and she felt a slight twinge of regret as her vision began to fade. _I never even got a chance to properly take him apart._

Then the pain coursed through her bloodstream, and Naoko heard herself screaming. Collapsing to the ground, she clutched her neck as her throat grew raw with her cries. Dark specks swirled around her, and she saw purple tongues of fire leap up from her skin.

_What is this?_

There was a wolf's howl. Then blackness.

...

**A Tragic Galaxy: "There, I mentioned you. Happy?"**

** Shisui: "I still think **_**I **_**should be the one to rescue them."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "You're supposed to be dead, remember?"**

** Shisui: "But you put down the fact that I'm alive again! I deserve a prominent role in the story!"**

** Ryuu: (Studies computer screen) "You know, you're really obsessed with killing off your character."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "It's called **_**drama**_**! I can't have her win every battle, there'd be no plot left! I have to carry this into the manga, so it's my duty to nearly kill her off in every important chapter. Eesh, she's not supposed to be **_**invincible**_** for crying out loud!"**

** Shisui: "I'm not done talking! For your information, **_**I'm **_**going to make an appearance whether **_**you**_** like it or not."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "I told you, you're grounded off the script for yelling at me. I warned you not to mess with me when I'm on the computer."**

** Shisui: "Just wait. I'll be on there." (Grins evily) "And there won't be anything you can do to stop it."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "You even try rewriting the script and I'll have Itachi kill you off when he tries to kidnap Naruto."**

** Shisui: "Hey readers, vote 'yes' if you like Shisui!" (Turns back to A Tragic Galaxy) "Oh, and by the way, I don't have to rewrite the script. I'm a fictional character, remember?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Stay OUT of my story!"**

** Shisui: (sings) "Not listening!"**


	24. The Wolf's Howl

**Shisui: "Gah! BLOOD!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Shisui, cut it out! You're giving away spoilers for the chapter!"**

** Shisui: "BLOOD! GAH!"**

** Nathaniel: "Dude."**

** Ryuu: "Obviously someone hasn't been in the police force for a while. It's amazing how fast the mind can deteriorate in such a short amount of time."**

** Shisui: "Hey, I've had a hard life here! My best friend tries to drown me, Danzo takes my arm - I deserve to act a little abnormal!"**

** Ryuu: "He's insane."**

** Nathaniel: "Whatever. Moving on! Let's get this thing going!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "One thing first. I used Mr. Nine tails in both of my OC character Naruto stories, so that's why there is a repeat of some minor details."**

** Shisui: "You really like that wolf, don't you."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Roll film!"**

**...**

_She was standing in the clearing, the man with glittering eyes in front of her. His eyes, so cold! Eyes of death, dripping katana, red liquid running down her fingertips. Otousan! Blood, spraying on her face..._

_ She was in a street, her heart thudding loudly in her ears as she stared into twin red orbs. Cold, emotionless. Sharingan. People falling around her. Not dead. Not bodies. How could she stop it? Red eyes, cold and lifeless. Drawn inside, can't get out..._

_ A wolf howled, breaking the nightmare. She was standing on a hillside, staring into a dark night filled with stars. She turned around and started as she her eyes met those of the ethereal being. Nine tails swirled in seemingly slow motion. An amythest aura emitted from the creature, and she recognized it to be a wolf. _

_ "Who are you?"_

_ It made no reply, but she wasn't afraid of it. She reached out a hand, wondering at the being. Touching her finger to one of the tails, she jerked back in surprise as it went through, a wisp of purple energy crackling around it ._

_ The wolf smirked at her confusion. Then it lifted one of its tails from the ground, revealing Sasuke. He was unconscious, his face pale. She gasped in horror and gave the wolf a questioning glance._

_ The wolf touched her cheek with its tail, then walked through her and disappeared, leaving her and Sasuke alone on the hillside. A voice whispered on the wind._

_ "Return their pride."_

...

Naoko groaned softly and winced at the bright moonlight streaming through the leafy canopy. Feeling something wet and heavy on her forehead, she reached up and pulled off a damp cloth.

_Funny, I don't remember how that got there. _Come to think of it, she didn't even know how _she_ got here. One minute she was plopped against a tree, then... blank.

Grimacing at her sore muscles, Naoko raised herself to her elbows. Her neck was stiff and sore, but as she touched her fingers to it she froze. Two swollen puncture marks stood out on the side. Everything came back in a moment; the fight, Orochimaru surviving Sasuke's fire attack, the head biting Sasuke, teeth digging into her own neck followed by a burst of chakra...

Naoko slumped back, gasping as she remembered. The chakra! She hadn't expended it! Or had she? Examining her bare arms, Naoko noticed a faint lilac glow shimmering on her skin. Strangely enough, she didn't feel like there was a need to expend any unwanted chakra. Her nerves were tingling with extra power, but it felt split in two, as though seperate forces were warring against each other.

Sitting up, Naoko scanned the room. Her heart leapt in her throat as she saw Sasuke and Naruto unconscious on the floor. Sakura was kneeling nearby, her head nodding as sleep overtook her.

_Has she been looking after us this whole time?_

Groaning softly, Naoko slowly rose to her feet. The room spun around and she had to lean against the large tree "roof" to keep from falling over. Her chakra levels were higher than normal. That meant she probably hadn't expended Orochimaru's energy, which possibly meant that that her original levels had been _really_ low after the battle. That could be a bad sign, depending on how it affected her.

Shrugging the thought away, Naoko decided it didn't really matter right now. Carefully stepping around Sasuke and Naruto, she made her way over to the exhausted Sakura and tapped the sleeping genin on the shoulder.

Sakura jumped in surprise and swung a kunai in Naoko's direction. Naoko's body still hadn't had time to recover from the fight with Orochimaru, and she was unable to keep her balance as she stepped back and fell over.

"Naoko!" Sakura shouted in surprise as she realized who she had attacked. "Are you all right? I didn't hit you did I? What are you doing awake right now?"

Naoko blinked the spots from her eyes and gave a half grin. "I'm fine," she lied. "I saw you were having a hard time staying awake and thought I'd keep watch for a little while. You look like you need some rest."

"But that mark on your neck," Sakura pointed out. "Are you sure you're going to be okay? I can still keep watch if it's bothering you."

Naoko shook her head. "I'm fine, really. I couldn't go to sleep now anyways." _That_ much was true. "Besides, you've been watching over all of us for hours. You need rest just as much as the rest of us. I _insist_," she added when Sakura hesitated.

"Well, I guess if you're sure you want to do this," Sakura replied as she gave a huge yawn. "Just make sure and wake me up if you need me."

"Promise," Naoko smiled as the pink haired genin curled up near Sasuke.

Naoko frowned and touched a hand to Sasuke's brow. He was burning to the touch, even through the damp cloth Sakura had placed on his forehead earlier. Tsking in concern, Naoko shook the water bottle and decided there was enough left to continue changing the dressings. After placing a fresh cloth on her injured teammates' brows, she wet a third cloth and draped it over her own head.

Naoko sat back when she was finished and rubbed her forehead. She hadn't told Sakura the truth when she had said she was fine. Her head was pounding as though a woodpecker were hammering at it, her throat was raw and clogged, and she felt dizzy whenever she tried to stand. Her neck was so stiff she could barely move her head. Naoko reached back and felt the bite mark again. The two puncture wounds were swollen and hot to the touch. They were probably getting infected.

Naoko didn't want to go back to sleep though, not after the dreams she'd had. Besides, Sakura needed the rest. She'd been up the entire night after all. Looking up into the lightening sky, Naoko saw that dawn was approaching.

They had four days left.

...

As the morning brightened, Naoko looked outside towards the ominous forest. She thought the test would be an adventure when they stood outside the gates. Now she wondered if they would even make it out alive.

"Hm," Sakura sighed softly as she began to wake.

Naoko was glad. The pain in her neck had died down, but she was feeling sick to her stomach. Her skin felt hot and sweaty as her chakra levels began rising beyond their normal limits.

Naoko could tell by now that she _hadn't_ expended Orochimaru's chakra, and as her regular chakra began returning it was increasing her power far beyond what her body could handle. She would have to expend Orochimaru's chakra _soon_. In her condition though, she wasn't sure she could put up any kind of defense without it. In disgust Naoko realized she might have to the extra powers this _creature_ had unintentionally passed on to her.

Sakura suddenly bolted upright, breathing hard. She looked about wildly for a moment, then sighed in relief as her eyes lit on her teammates.

"Naoko, how are you feeling?" Sakura asked softly as she came forward. "I can keep watch now."

"Thanks." Naoko managed a sickly smile and put her head down on her arms.

Sakura's brow furrowed in worry. "You look awful, Naoko. Maybe you should lie down for a while."

Just then a rustling in the bushes interrupted any further conversation. Sakura gasped and drew a kunai, while Naoko fumbled for a throwing needle. Her medical readings suggested by Shisui had shown her some pressure points to aim for, but if worst came to worst she could always stab her opponent in the eye.

To Naoko's astonishment, a tiny squirrel scampered out of the forest. Sakura gave it a bland glare, then unexpectedly threw her kunai at it.

"What are you doing!" Naoko shouted as she watched the poor little thing run off in fear of its life.

"Don't go over there," Sakura hissed in her ear. "I set some traps in case another team comes."

_Smart._ Naoko leaned back, relieved that there had been no real danger.

She let her guard down too soon.

"Some lookout," a voice suddenly broke into the silence. "You two look half asleep."

Naoko whirled around, wincing at the dizzyness she felt at the sudden movement. Three older ninjas stood at the edge of the clearing. She whirled her spinning sharingan into motion and zoned in on the headband symbols.

_Sound ninja._ Great, they were most definately done for.

"At least you don't have to keep watch anymore," one ninja with a fur cape and bandages covering his head taunted. His voice was smooth and eerie, with a fake soothing tone. "What's the point after we've already found you? Now wake Sasuke up. We want to fight him."

Naoko's blood boiled and her the pain in her neck sharpened as a purple haze filtered into the red and black of her spinning sharingan. _Don't you even __**think**__ of touching him!_

"What do you want here? I mean, what do you _really_ want?" Sakura asked in a frightened tone. Naoko could see her slowly reaching for a kunai though, and knew the Haruno was faking it. "I know Orochimaru is calling the shots from the shadows!"

All three sound ninja stiffened in obvious surprise.

"What's that strange bruise on the back of Sasuke's neck?" Sakura continued. "You're behind this too, aren't you? And now you want to fight him when he can't defend himself?"

Naoko smiled at her teammate's boldness. _I never knew Sakura had it in her._ Her own eyes glinted as she flipped a kunai from the pouch at her belt. Her anger was overruling her weakness, and Naoko knew she would never let the sound ninjas get anywhere near Sasuke.

"What in the _world _could he be thinking?" the masked ninja asked. Sakura stiffened.

"I can't stay quiet after hearing you talk to us like that," a spiky haired sound ninja said cooly. "First I'm gonna kill this _girl_, and then I'm gonna kill Sasuke!"

Naoko glared at the ceiling in irritation. _They never notice the Urutymaya._

"Wait, Zaku," the masked ninja growled.

"What?" Zaku said in mild shock and annoyance. "Why?"

The masked ninja waddled forward, his bowl legged stance causing his long sleeves to drag on the ground. "It's so obvious. This is the color of dirt that's been recently dug up. And this kind of grass doesn't grow in a place like this." He looked up to Sakura. "You know, if you're going to lay a trap there's no point unless you make sure it's actually hidden."

Sakura groaned slightly as the ninja pulled up the thin blanket of grass she had laid over the trap.

"Ha!" Zaku laughed. "You're just a joke! You threw your kunai knife so that squirrel wouldn't spring the trap you set, huh?"

The masked ninja twisted his head to the side. "Now, we kill them." Leaping straight into the air, the sound ninjas easily avoided the trap and descended towards them.

Sakura smiled triumphantly however, and with a quick slash of a kunai knife she severed a wire. A huge log swung towards the sound ninja.

"Watch out!" the masked ninja cried out. He placed his hand against the upcoming log. "Nice try, little girl," he smirked as the log burst into shards of wood.

Sakura gasped and Naoko fell back in shock.

"Clearly you have no talent as a ninja," the masked sound ninja taunted. "Someone like you needs to really make more of an effort, don't you think?"

Naoko prepared for the attack, but before she could move a shout echoed through the clearing.

"LEAF HURRICANE!"

A blur of green and caterpillar eyebrows zoomed through the air, dispatching each of the sound ninjas in a series of rapid moves.

"What? What is he doing?" Sakura asked as Rock Lee swooped down to stand in front of him.

"I don't believe it," Naoko rolled her eyes. "He's going to get himself killed!"

"Looks like you also need to make an effort," Lee replied to the sound ninja.

"Who _are_ you?" the masked ninja questioned in an incredulous tone.

Naoko put a hand over her eyes. _Oh, no._

"I am the handsome devil of the leaf village, and my name is Rock Lee!"

_Return of the grammar perfectionist._

"Wh-what are you doing here Lee?" Sakura asked in a suspicious tone.

"I will always appear anytime and anywhere when you are in trouble, Sakura," Lee stated proudly as he stroked the squirrel perched on his shoulder. Gently he set it down. "This was all thanks to you, little one. But now it is time for you to run along."

The squirrel gave a small chatter and scampered away.

_Strange... is that the one that Sakura threw a kunai at? _Naoko's vision was starting to get blurry again, and she knew she was running out of time. She had to find a way to expend Orochimaru's chakra without blowing up her teammates... and herself.

"But right now, on this test I'm your enemy!" Sakura objected as she adressed Lee.

"Sakura, I already told you," Lee said with a slight tease, "I will protect you until I die!"

_That won't be very long if you stand around talking,_ Naoko mused as she laid her head down against the dirt floor.

Sakura shot her a glance, worry written across her features. Naoko didn't reply. Now that Lee had arrived, her anger had burned off and she felt too sick to do anything but lie back and close her eyes.

Sakura turned back to Lee, her gaze distant as though remembering something. "Yes, thank you... Rock Lee," she said in a soft voice.

The masked sound ninja sighed. "Saku, I'll let you have Sasuke," he said in a monotone as he threw the earth scroll back to his teammate. "I'll take care of these _two_."

Naoko growled from her position on the ground. _Of course. He wouldn't consider a downed ninja to be a threat! _

Sakura grabbed a kunai, waiting for the sound ninja's next move.

"The guy with the bushy eyebrows is pretty good with Taijutsu," the sound ninja rasped as he rolled his sleeve up. "Looks like I get to have some fun!"

Sakura's eyes narrowed and she threw a kunai at the ninja as he charged forward. The sound ninja easily evaded the weapon and launched himself at Lee. Naoko felt her sharingan activate instinctively as the pressure of the moment gave her a new burst of adrenaline. She laid low however, conserving her meagre strength until she was needed.

Lee meanwhile plunged a fist into the ground. As the sound ninja soared towards him, he lifted it up, bringing a section of the earth with him. The force of the attack threw the sound ninja backwards.

"I am positive that there is some kind of trick to your attack," Lee said. "Therefore I will not waste my time trying to dodge it."

"Hm?" the sound ninja grunted.

"After all," Lee continued, "I have seen your jutsu before."

The sound ninjas drew back in slight astonishment, and Naoko watched Lee's face set with determination.

_This is about to get complicated._

...

"We... have been tramping... through... this stupid forest... for _HOURS!_" Raiden gasped as he ran behind Etsuko.

"Come on!" she snapped, agitated that her teammates were taking so long.

"The others are probably finished by now!" Raiden complained. "We could have gotten that scroll ten times over! But no, you had to go chasing that crazy sound ninja!"

"Shut up, Raiden!" Etsuko growled. She was angry at herself for wasting precious time in a wild goose chase, but she had other reasons besides the scroll for chasing Kabuto.

Satoru had assigned her to the exams for two specific reasons; one, she knew the rules of Konoha and would be able to keep the others out of trouble, and two, she was nearly impossible to deceive.

And Kabuto wasn't fooling her one bit.

Something was wrong.

"Can we please... take a... quick breather?" Raiden continued to gripe. "It's not like... we haven't been running... for twenty-four hours straight."

"Oh, fine!" Etsuko stopped abruptly, watching in some amusement as Raiden screeched to a halt before slammed into a tree.

"Really, Etsuko," Takayuki panted as he took a sip of water and began slowly pacing to regulate his heart beat. "I don't think you should push it so hard. You might be able to navigate in here well enough on your own, but not everyone can keep up with that pace."

Etsuko's nerves were screaming at the delay, but she knew the medical ninja-in-training was correct. She was going to kill her teammates if she kept this up.

_Blast it all, Satoru! Why did you have to stick me with a couple of kids? Even Katsuro and Chinatsu could have kept up with me easier! We would have been finished long before now!_

"Take that back right now, you jerk!"

Raiden's head swiveled at the sound. He grinned. "I think we just found our prey."

"Wait!" Etsuko warned as she clamped a hand on his shoulder to stop him from running into the forest. "Let's see what we're up against."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Raiden complained as soon as the leaf ninja team was in sight. "_Those_ twerps? It'll be an insult to the clan pride if we take_ them _down!" _Why couldn't it have been Sakura we were attacking? At least she's got a temper._

Takayuki snorted at Raiden's statement. "What pride? We're all a bunch of idiots if you ask me."

"Well nobody did ask you!" Raiden yelled.

"Both of you be quiet!" Etsuko hissed in a dangerous tone. She leaned forward slightly and peered through the leaves. The Konoha team was just sitting there, apparently watching something.

"I'm going further in," Etsuko said hastily as she pulled herself further up the tree limbs. "You two stay here until I call."

"No objection there," Raiden mused as he leaned against the trunk and closed his eyes.

Etsuko gave Takayuki a frustrated look.

"I'll wait for your signal," the medical ninja responded with a sharp nod.

Etsuko sighed in relief that _somebody_ on the team had some sense. "I won't be long," she promised as she leapt into the higher branches. Quickly heading in the direction that the Konoha team faced, she prepared herself for whatever she might find.

...

Naoko watched as Lee began unwrapping the bandages on his arms. She slowly rolled to her knees, ready for an attack. The purple aura around her skin was now like a raging inferno, and she could feel her rage building as adrenaline coursed through her blood stream.

_I've never let anyone touch Sasuke without getting their nose punched out, and I'm not about to let my guard down now!_

This wasn't just for Sasuke though. It was for the clan. His clan.

The clan of the Uchihas.

_I won't let you down, Sasuke. I won't let their pride die._

Whether or not she might have objected before, Naoko's fate was tied in with him. The Uchiha blood ran through her veins, and whatever disgrace met the clan would fall on her too. Naoko would not let that happen.

As the sound ninja drew closer, Rock Lee suddenly moved faster than a blink to stand underneath him. The green clad ninja slammed his foot into the masked ninja's chin, then rose in the air to hover beneath him.

Bandages lashed out, pinning the sound ninja's arms to his side. Lee grabbed the ninja around the waist and began zooming downwards, spinning wildly. Naoko winced. The masked sound ninja wasn't going to make it through this one.

Alone, he may not have, but the sound ninja had help. Saku created a series of hand motions and slammed his fists into the ground. There was an explosion of dust. When the air cleared, the masked sound ninja was stuck halfway through the earth; temporarily defeated, but very much alive.

"Hah! Got you just in time!" the sound ninja laughed. "That impact could have been much worse for you."

_Blast it all! You idiot!_ Naoko clenched a fist, furious at the sound ninja's interference with Rock Lee's attack.

"What?" Rock Lee squeaked as the masked sound ninja rose to his feet. "This cannot be!"

_Dude, enough of the perfect grammar already!_ Naoko stood up, figuring that she must be feeling better if she was ready to argue with someone.

Sakura turned around at Naoko's movement and gasped.

"Naoko! What's going on?"

Naoko growled as she examined the purple flames licking over her body. She felt no pain, but she knew it had to be Orochimaru's chakra. "Do you have to ask?" she shouted at Sakura before turning to face the sound ninja.

Saku was staring at Naoko with wide eyes, but the masked ninja's back was towards her.

"That is a frightening jutsu," the sound ninja adressed Lee. "You nearly took me out even though I landed on this soft dirt." He turned and pulled up his sleeve. "Now it's my turn!"

Rock Lee didn't move from his position. With a shocking realization, Naoko knew he wasn't about to.

"Lee, look out!" she shouted as the masked ninja ran forward.

Naoko knew it was hopeless for Lee to move out of the way in time. So she moved for him. Later Naoko would wonder what in the world possesed her to leave Sasuke in danger like that, but her body ran of its own accord.

Her feet pounding against the ground at top speed, Naoko threw herself at the sound ninja. His eyes widened at the unexpected attack. Naoko hit him just before he could reach Lee. She slammed her hands against the sound ninja's chest, unleashing Orochimaru's chakra.

The resulting explosion rocked the forest of death to its core.

...

Etsuko drew in a sharp breath as the tree limb bucked underneath her. A tidal wave of violet light radiated through the clearing she had been heading towards.

Etsuko stared at the explosion in wonder and amazement. There was only one thing which could produce a blast like that.

_Wolf._

Etsuko's eyes narrowed. So it was here. The little brat had managed to inherit it after all.

Turning abruptly, Etsuko dashed back the way she had come. She had to warn Satoru Sensei.

"Come on!" she shouted as she reached her teammates. "We're leaving!"

"But what about - "

"Now, Takayuki!" Etsuko snapped as she dashed back towards the purple haze. She stopped short as three grass ninja appeared.

"Looking for this?" one of them taunted as he held up an earth scroll.

Etsuko saw Takayuki draw back, his eyes wide. He was carrying the heaven scroll in his medical pouch. If the others targetted him...

_Blast, I don't have time for this!_

"You two, battle formation!" Etsuko shouted. The genin immediately stood back to back, kunai drawn.

Etsuko growled and pulled out a handful of shuriken. "I'll deal with this guy."

...

**A Tragic Galaxy: (Thunks head on table) "I have forty-some episodes left until I get to Itachi. WHY DOES IT HAVE TO TAKE SO LONG!"**

** Nathaniel: "Relax." (Pours a cup of coffee) "Here."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: (Makes a face) "Bleh. I'm hyper already."**

** Ryuu: "You know, you really shouldn't have coffee. It messes with your... whatever that nervous system is called."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Periphreal?"**

** Ryuu: "Yeah, that thing. All that medical jazz."**

** Shisui: "I don't see why Itachi has to come in. He's not the main antagonist after all."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: (Gives Shisui a blank stare) "Clearly you haven't read the manga. Itachi is the most important antagonist of the series!" (Throws hands into the air) "Without him, there's no plotline. Not to mention he's a favorite among the fan girls."**

** Shisui: "Which includes one specific writer named ATG - "**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Shut up, Shisui."**

** Nathaniel: "Okay, cut it out you two."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Review!"**

** Nathaniel: "ATG does not own anything."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Except the personalities of the OC's!"**


	25. Snakes and Uchihas

** A Tragic Galaxy: "I hate Naoko."**

** Ryuu: "How can you hate your own character?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Do you realize how many OC girls are out there in the fanfiction forums? The only thing that's different is she isn't an Uchiha or in love with one of the major characters!"**

** Nathaniel: "Uh, technically she's half-Uchiha actually. It's in the Urutymaya bloodline after all."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "**_**Thanks**_** for bringing that up." (Sighs) "I'd rather be updating the story with Kichirou right now. At least that one is a bit more unique."**

** Shisui: "How can you get any more unique than Shisui Uchiha?"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "You know, I never thought I'd say this, but that's actually the only reason I'm writing now. I hate my main character so this is for all the wonderful members of the gang."**

** Shisui: "I TOLD you you couldn't live without me!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Yeah, yeah, knock it off, okay? We all admit we like Shisui Uchiha."**

** Ryuu: **_**"That**_** I can argue."**

** Shisui: "I LIVE!"**

** Nathaniel: "You know, you just made the worst mistake in your life, ATG."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Roll Film!"**

** ...**

Naoko knew that releasing her chakra was dangerous, but she never expected it to blow someone apart. The sound ninja's voice rose in a silent scream that was silenced a split second later as Orochimaru's chakra blew into him. The body exploded with an earth shaking roar, and Naoko felt the world spin around her. Amythest light burst from her entire being, searing the surrounding forest with its aura. Vaguely Naoko saw Rock Lee thrown against a boulder and fall unmoving the the ground. Then she felt herself being thrust backwards by an irresistable force. Naoko's back slammed against a tree, and the violet light faded.

Grimacing as waves of pain radiated down her back, Naoko watched in disguist as body parts rained down to litter the area. Sakura screamed in horror at the scene, and the remaining sound ninjas stared open mouthed at Naoko.

Naoko shuddered in horror as she realized what she had done. She had actually killed someone! For the first time in her life, she had destroyed someone with her power. Rolling to her knees, Naoko's stomach rebelled in dry heaves for a minute.

Finally collapsing to the ground in exhaustion, Naoko lay on her stomach and watched the fuzzy shapes of ninjas advance. Her sharingan had deactivated itself, and she knew she didn't have enough chakra to turn it back on again. If one of the ninjas decided to finish her off... Naoko knew it would be over.

_I'm so sorry, Sasuke,_ Naoko blinked back the tears as one trickled down her nose. _I can't even protect you now. If I don't make it back... I hope Shisui tells you about your clan. I wish I had._

"You - she couldn't have!" Zaku stammered in wide-eyed horror as he stared at the scattered pieces of his teammate. His face twisted in rage, he ran towards Naoko.

"You're gonna pay for that!"

"Stop it!" Sakura shouted unexpectedly. A handful of kunai lashed out, nearly catching the sound ninja as he swerved to a halt.

Naoko twisted her head slightly so that she could see the pink-haired genin. Sakura's face was set in anger, her green eyes flashing. For the first time Naoko felt a shiver of trepidation at her teammate. _Glad I'm not on __**her**__ bad side._

Zaku glared at the Haruno, rage intermingling with triumph on his features. "Oh, yeah. I'd almost forgotten about you."

_No._ Naoko knew that Sakura couldn't fight against both ninja at once. Desperately she tried to get up, but her muscles refused to respond to her. _Blast! I can't even move a finger! All I can do is watch now..._

Her gaze turned to Sasuke's still form. _No! I have to get up! I have to protect him! It charged me to keep him safe! I have to - _ With a sharp sob, Naoko knew it was no use. She had failed. Sasuke would die, and it would all be her fault. She couldn't do any more.

Naoko watched in fury as Zaku attacked her teammate with a sound technique. As Sakura fell, the female member of the sound team appeared behind her and grabbed the genin's hair.

"My, my, what soft and shiny hair," the sound ninja smirked. "But you know what? If you spent a little less time shampooing and a little more time practicing your jutsu, you might not be in this fix! Hey, Zaku!" she adressed her teammate, "I know what would be fun! Let's make Miss Beauty Queen watch while you finish off that Sasuke guy!"

"Why not?" Zaku responded. "And little Miss squinty-eyes here can watch too."

"No," Naoko tried to object as Zaku roughly grabbed a handful of her hair and dragged her into the clearing.

"Make sure you watch this," Zaku taunted maliciously. "Or I'll make it _extra_ painful."

"You keep your hands off him!" Naoko shrieked as she struggled uselessly to move. Hurriedly she squeezed her eyes shut, but gasped as a hand struck her cheek.

"Listen up, brat!" Zaku shouted. "I'm gonna make you pay for killing my teammate! Now you watch this closely, or I promise you, I'll kill Sasuke so slowly you'll be haunted every night by his screams!"

_I'll be haunted already, you monster!_ Naoko continued screaming at the ninja, her vocal defiance being her last available defense. The sound ninja ignored her, slowly advancing towards Sasuke.

"Let's do this," Zaku grinned.

Naoko's spinning sharingan suddenly activated against her will. _What? I couldn't turn it on before! How did it..._ Her gaze was drawn to Sasuke, and she gasped in horror as she saw tendrils of purple wreathing from his neck. _Orochimaru's chakra!_

Just then there was a clink of metal, and Naoko's gaze turned to see Sakura pull a kunai from her ever-full pouch.

"Oh, come on!" the sound ninja holding her hair berated. "It's pointless! That won't work on me!"

Sakura smiled suddenly, her eyes lit with an emerald fire. "It's not meant for you."

Naoko's eyes widened as Sakura's hand swept backwards... straight through her bubble gum hair. _Sakura... you're so brave._ Naoko wondered if she ever could have done such drastic move.

The sound ninja who had been holding Sakura fell backwards against the unexpected release in pressure. Strands of pink floated downwards as most of Sakura's hair sheared away, and the leaf headband fell to the ground with a clank.

"Okay. No more caving." Sakura said between gritted teeth.

Naoko stared at her friend in awe. Never before had she seen such determination, such boldness in Sakura's eyes. She could almost have been an Uchiha.

Zaku gasped. "Xei, finish her!" he shouted to the female sound ninja.

Xei grabbed a handful of throwing needles, but Sakura was already creating a series of hand signals.

As Xei threw herself at the genin, Sakura's body disapeared, leaving a log in its place.

"A substitution jutsu!" Xei gasped.

Naoko vainly tried to move, but her boy wouldn't respond. _I have to move!_ she thought frantically._ I'm directly in the line of fire! I can't have Sakura trying to save me and protect herself at the same time!_

Suddenly Naoko felt someone grab her under the arms.

"Wh-what?" she stammered as she felt herself flying away from the conflict.

"Shh!" a voice hissed in her ear. "I don't think they saw me."

Naoko's eyes widened in recognition. "Shisui?" She quickly switched her spinning sharingan to normal, relieved that it worked this time. Naoko didn't care for the red and obsidian shades of her spinning sharingan, but without her glasses she was as blind as a bat. Now with her normal sharingan, she could see her rescuer clearly. "You!"

The Uchiha winked and put a finger to his lips. "I think I saw your friends hiding in the bushes," he whispered. "You should be okay now." Without another word he disapeared into the brush.

_I did not just see that!_ Naoko drew in a shuddering breath. _He was here? Why didn't he stick around? That idiot! _She wondered how he could have moved so fast. Even in her fight with Orochimaru, Naoko had never journeyed so swiftly. _I wish I could have seen his chakra pattern. Maybe I could have copied it._

For now however, she couldn't dwell on the problem. Sakura was fighting the last two ninjas by herself. _Blast it all, why couldn't you have helped her, Shisui! You're an Uchiha, yet you ran away? What a coward!_

"Xei, move out of the way!" Zaku's voice rang out as Sakura sprang through the air, her hands moving in another clone sequence.

Zaku's kunai shot out, decimating the clone. A second time Sakura launched herself at Zaku, her hands moving in the same symbols. This time however, she didn't complete the sequence.

Naoko bit down a cry as several kunai hit Sakura's arms and legs. Zaku, looked around, expecting another clone. His eyes widened as Sakura continued towards him.

"No!" he shouted as he threw out an arm.

Sakura's kunai knife slammed into the shinobi's wrist, digging in until he couldn't pull it out without causing further damage. With a snarl Sakura grabbed Zaku's other wrist in her teeth, hanging on for dear life.

_She won't let him touch Sasuke. I never knew you had it in you, Sakura._

"What are you, crazy or something!" Zaku shouted as he began slamming his fist into the side of Sakura's head. "Get off of me!"

_Shisui, where are you!_ Naoko watched in horror as Zaku continued.

"Somebody get this crazy girl off of me!"

Sakura began sobbing behind her clenched teeth as the blood ran down her face. She refused to let go, and Zaku continued raining down blows. Naoko felt her anger raging, but this time she had no chakra to back it with. She was helpless to do anything but watch.

_I hate this feeling! I hate it! I hate it! Why can't I just be invincible or something? _

Finally Zaku managed to knock Sakura back, and she slammed into the ground with a thud. "Now you're gonna pay!" he shouted

Naoko glared at the sound ninja, her fury overwhelming her senses. _I hate you, Shisui._

"Say so long, kid!" Zaku shouted as he lifted his hands.

Before the sound ninja could strike, three figures dashed out of the bushes to stand in front of Sakura.

_Ino's team. So that's what that coward was talking about. _Naoko let out a breath of relief. Sakura was safe... for the time being.

Zaku laughed shortly. "So what's this? The second string?"

"Surprised?" Ino spoke to Sakura. "I swore I'd never let you show me up, didn't I!"

"Ino," Sakura said. "But why?"

"Huh! I'm tired of you showing off in front of Sasuke and trying to get all the credit!" Ino bluffed.

_Yeah, right_, Naoko smirked.

Zaku growled. "That's it, I'm taking these guys apart!"

Choji's eyes widened as Shikimaru grabbed his scarf and prevented him from running. "Are you guys crazy?" he shrieked. "These guys are bad news, man!"

"Don't look at me, it was Ino's idea," Shikimaru accused. "But what are we supposed to do? Sit back and just watch a _girl_ do all the fighting?"

Ino laughed nervously. "Sorry for dragging you both into this. But we are a three manned squad, right? All for one and one for all!"

"Yeah," Shikimaru replied. "What's gonna happen will."

"This ain't teamwork!" Choji screached. "This is suicide!" He continued trying to run away, screaming and pleading with his teammates.

"You're getting on my nerves!" Shikamaru griped.

Zaku laughed. "Better a live sheep than a dead lion. Right, Fatso?"

Choji's ear twitched and he abruptly stood still. "Did I just hear that right?" he asked. "What did that guy just say?"

Shikimaru's eyebrow lifted in a worried expression, raising Naoko's curiosity. _What am I missing here?_

"You wanna try saying that again?" Choji asked in a dangerously calm tone.

"I said you're smart to get out while you still can," Zaku repeated. "Fatty!"

Choji was absolutely still, and Naoko felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle.

Suddenly the ninja whirled around. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING FAT? I'M JUST A LITTLE CHUBBY, OKAAAAY! UAAAAAAAAH!"

An explosion of pale blue light surrounded Choji, and Naoko squeezed her eyes shut.

"That does it!" Naoko peeked as Choji's shout rang out. "This is a fight to the death between Chijo and Zaku!"

_Oh, boy._

"Good job," Shikimaru said dryly. "Thanks a lot. Now we've got to live with him."

"Don't worry, it won't be for long," Zaku responded.

Naoko's gaze turned to Sasuke, and she froze. Tendrils of amythest flames were hissing from his body, twisting around his still form. Naoko's eyes narrowed, and she switched to her spinning sharingan to look closer.

The flames were different than the ones she had experienced. Rimmed in black and steaming, they were frightening to behold. Why had Naoko's aura been so different if they had both been bitten? The purple glow that had radiated off her skin had almost been... beautiful. They had been frightening, yet lovely at the same time. Half of the flames surrounding Sasuke were rich amythest and crackling with power. The others were deep purple, just a shade lighter than their partner flames. An aura of evil surrounded Sasuke, and Naoko could practically taste the chakra radiating off of his prone body.

Naoko shuddered and closed her eyes, as though it could protect her from the darkness eminating from her friend.

"Sakura," Ino's voice broke in. "Your teammates are down. Look after them. Okay, team Ino," she adressed her teammates, "Let's show 'em who's boss!"

"Got it!" Choji and Shikamaru agreed unanimously.

"Formation Ino - Skika - Cho!"

"Okay, take it away, Choji!" Ino ordered.

"My pleasure!" Choji replied. "Expansion jutsu!" Immediately he increased in size until his head stood several feet above his teammates. "Followed by Lee style Tai-jutsu! Choji boulder jutsu!" Choji's head and limbs disapeared into his body, leaving only a rolling ball in its place.

"You've gotta be kidding," Zaku responded as a yelling Choji drew near. "Maybe I'm supposed to laugh myself to death! Slicing soundwave!" He held out his hands, throwing every bit of his attack at the rolling genin.

The sound ninja's arms began to visibly strain as Choji continued advancing. Abruptly the leaf genin launched himself into the air and came spinning down towards Zaku.

"Zaku!" Xei shouted as she began running to his aid.

"Oh, no you don't!" Shikamaru growled as he stepped into the girl's shadow. "Ninja art! Shadow possesion jutsu!"

"What's happening?" Xei asked in horror.

"Just me and my shadow," Shikamaru chuckled.

Meanwhile Choji crashed down into the ground, barely missing Zaku as the sound genin leapt out of the way.

"What is this, some kind of paralysis jutsu?" Xei shouted in frustration as her hands moved around against her will.

_Fascinating,_ Naoko considered as she strived to move again. This time she was able to lean forward a little bit. _I wonder what else Ino's team can do?_

"Ino, be ready on my signal," Shikamaru said.

"You got it!" Ino answered.

Choji continued attacking the evasive Zaku, but Naoko noticed the chakra signal around Shikamaru weakening. _This doesn't seem good..._

"Ino, now!" Shikamaru shouted as his shadow abruptly disapeared.

"Take care of my body! Mind transfer jutsu!" Ino replied cheerily as she fell limp into Shikamaru's arms.

Naoko gasped. _What happened?_ Just then her spinning sharingan locked onto Xei, and she caught Ino's chakra aura surrounding the girl. _Mind transfer? As in litteral?_

Naoko tried to stabilise her sharingan again to copy the technique, but to her frustration her eyes refused to obey her commands. _Blast! I'm still too low on chakra right now. _She would definately have to study the teams' abilities later.

"Enough of this!" Zaku cried as he escaped Choji's attack once again. "Xei! What's wrong with you?"

Xei had been standing still, but her eyes opened abruptly. "Party's over fella!" she said in Ino's voice as she pulled out a kunai.

_So that's what her jutsu does._

"Take it easy!" Ino continued as she pointed the kunai at herself. "One false move from you and your teammate gets it in the neck! You wouldn't want that to happen. So here's what you do; just drop the scroll, and walk away. When you're far enough away that I can't sense your chakra, I'll let her go."

Xei's eyes narrowed as Ino's mind sensed something amiss. "Hey, Choji!" she suddenly called out as the genin spun towards her.

Naoko's eyes widened as Choji rolled to attack Xei, not realizing that Ino had taken over her body. Zeku smiled however and put a hand out, throwing Xei's body against a tree.

"This is bad!" Shikamaru exclaimed as a thin stream of blood trickled from Ino's mouth.

Choji stumbled to his feet, looking sick to his stomach. "I don't feel so good," he mumbled.

Ino/Xei raised her head painfully. "I... I don't understand you guys," she stammered. "What kind of monster would attack their own teammate?"

"I gues... monsters like us," Zaku replied smoothly. "After all, it's not the scroll we're after. It's _Sasuke._"

Naoko's eyes widened. _Sasuke, Sasuke, it's always Sasuke! Shisui, you are so going to get it for abandoning us like this!_

Zaku laughed and adressed Shikamaru. "I can already tell that your shadow technique has a time limit. And it appears that your teammate has transferred her mind to Xei. You know what that means, don't you? Anything that happens to Xei happens to your teammate. Including if Xei dies."

"So what now, you going to kill your teammate just to get rid of us?" Shikamaru challenged.

Zaku sneered. "If push comes to shove, then yes."

Shikamaru sighed in helpless exhasperation. "Oh, man, what a _drag!_"

"Yeah, no kidding," Choji grimaced as he clutched his stomach.

"Did you really think you could beat us?" Zaku scoffed. "Face it, you ninjas are just a bunch of fakes from a second rate village."

"Huh. That's pretty tough talk!"

Naoko glanced up in surprise to see Neji and Tenten standing high up in the trees. _Oh, great. More competition? Then again, with Lee's life on the line, maybe they'll help..._

"That makes your village _third rate_," Neji scoffed. "I wonder if any of you amateurs are ready to take on the real thing?"

Zaku glared up at them, his face a mixture of disbelief and annoyance.

"Lee!" Tenten gasped as she saw her teammate lying unconscious on the ground.

"You blew it!" Neji continued in a calm tone.

"Do you genin never stop coming?" Zaku sighed.

"It looks like you used our teammate as a punching bag," Neji ignored the jibe. "No one does that and gets away with it!"

Naoko stared in astonishment as the veins bulged out near Neji's eyes. So, he had the same byuugakan as his cousin...

"No more playing around, Tenten," Neji said darkly. "Full power!"

Tenten leaned forward, grabbing several kunai. Suddenly Neji drew in a sharp breath and stepped back.

"Well, aren't you going to do something?" Zaku demanded.

Neji smiled slightly. "Actually, it looks like it's been taken out of my hands."

Naoko looked to the right as a purple glare glinted out of the corner of her vision. She gasped and drew back as the flames surrounding Sasuke increased tenfold. _No! What's happening?_

"Sasuke! You're awake - " Sakura started to cry out joyfully, before her eyes widened in fear.

Naoko drew back against the tree, terrified by what she saw. Sasuke was a shadowy form standing in wreaths of amythest. An aura of evil permeated the area. Naoko had never been more afraid of her friend in her life.

_Sas... what happened to you?_

A flaming red glow spread across the right side of Sasuke's body. As he took a step forward, the violet light swirled higher. "Sakura," he hissed in a strangely malicious yet concerned tone.

When no reply came, he said again, "Sakura. Who did this to you?" Abruptly the dark amythest flames vanished, revealed black tatoos covering the right side of Sasuke's body. Naoko shuddered at the cold glint in his eyes.

"Who was it?" Sasuke demanded as Sakura gazed at him in shock.

"Sasuke, what... what's happened to you?" Sakura questioned.

The Uchiha raised his hand and studied it. "Don't worry," he replied. "I'm all right. It's only the power flowing through me." He clenched his fist. "In fact, I've never felt better. He gave me this gift. And he made me understand what I am. I'm an _avenger_. To follow my path I must have power, at any price! Even if it means being consumed by evil!"

Naoko's jaw dropped open. "What in the world are you talking about, you utter IMBICELE!" she screamed. "Exactly what extent of brain damage did you_ get _from that snake bite?"

Sasuke ignored her. "Sakura, tell me. Which one of these people did this to you?"

Zaku grinned. "That'd be me."

It was the wrong thing to say. Naoko felt a shiver of horror as Sasuke's blood red sharingan focused on the sound ninja.

"Ino!" Shikamaru shouted. "Hurry up and get back in your body! Believe me, you don't want to get caught in this! Choji! You too!"

"Uh, coming!" Choji hastily replied.

As Ino returned her mind back to her real body, Naoko heard a rustle in the bushes next to her. She turned and gasped in suprise as Raiden and Etsuko Chihua appeared.

"Oye! Pinkie's hurt!" Raiden shouted as he ran straight into the clearing towards Sakura.

"No, wait! What are you - Ugh! You idiot!" Etsuko growled as she slapped her forehead. Her gaze was drawn to Sasuke and she frowned. "That is not Wolf," she muttered. "Then who - "

"What do you mean, Wolf?" Naoko asked. "Not the nine-tails... right?"

Etsuko turned to face her in astonishment. "How do you know about - oh." Etsuko's eyes narrowed as she took in Naoko's sharingan. "So _you _are the Urutymaya." She glared and folded her arms. "Well, this is a fine mess. I suppose there is only one reason why _you_ would know about the nine-tails, huh?"

"Well, she does have her clan's kekai-genkai from the look of things," Takehiko suggested as he appeared at Naoko's left. He turned to the Urutymaya. "Which one of your team needs the medical attention first."

"The guy in green," Naoko responded promptly. "How did you know about my clan?" she adressed Etsuko. "And why are you helping us right now? What's this about Wolf? What does it have to do with - "

"Honestly, can you not let me answer your questions one at a time?" Etsuko snapped. "Do not ask. I am not ready to give away personal information. We are here to help you because you happened to be along the way. End of discussion."

"What's wrong with Sasuke?" Naoko asked firmly.

Etsuko shrugged. "I do not know. Either way, I wish to have nothing to do with it."

"She'll be okay," Raiden called out from where he was inspecting Sakura's bruises.

"Can you not get your mind off of girls for one minute and lend some help?" Etsuko shouted.

"All right, all right! Sheesh, you're snappy today," Raiden whined.

"All right, that's it!" Zaku yelled as he assessed the new group of ninjas. "I'll take care of all of you in one fell swoop! Super sonic slicing wave!"

A blast of wind threw Takehiko backwards and slammed Naoko against the tree. Sasuke disappeared without warning, taking Sakura and Naruto with him.

_Wait - where'd he go?_

"Hah!" Zaku laughed. "Blew 'em all away!"

"Not quite," Sasuke's voice came from behind him. Throwing one fist out, he launched Zaku halfway across the clearing.

Naoko's eyes widened at the Uchiha's display of power, and Raiden gave a low whistle as he appeared at Etsuko's side.

"That was a pre-etty nasty attack, right there."

Things grew even worse as several flaming shuriken flew towards Zaku next. Naoko was amazed at Sasuke's display of power, but she couldn't get past the fear of the dark chakra surrounding them.

"That kid is going to get someone killed," Etsuko's eyes narrowed as she pulled a double bladed kunai from her belt.

"Don't you dare touch my teammate!" Naoko growled as she locked her sharingan onto Etsuko.

"Face it, girl, your _friend_ is not who you think he is. At this rate he will destroy everything around him!"

Even as Etsuko spoke, Sasuke appeared behind Zaku. Putting his foot on the shinobi's back, he pulled Zaku's arms back.

"You seem to be very proud of these arms of yours," Sasuke taunted. "You must be... very attached to them!"

"NO!" Zaku screamed as Sasuke's foot ground harder. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Abruptly there was a shriek of pain as Zaku's arms were pulled from their sockets. He fell to the ground, writhing in agony.

"That is it!" Etsuko shouted as she leapt to her feet. "This kid is going down!"

"Not good," Raiden muttered as he reached out to stop his leader.

Sasuke reached out to deliver the final blow to Zaku. Without warning Sakura ran forward, screaming in horror.

"NOOOO!"

Without hesitation, the pink haired genin threw her arms around Sasuke, halting him in his tracks. "Don't do it!" she sobbed.

Etsuko slid to a halt and gritted her teeth in agitation. "Get away from him, you fool," she whispered.

"No, wait!" Naoko called. "Leave them!"

The tatoos began to fade off Sasuke's skin as his posture relaxed. Abruptly he sat back onto the ground, gasping for breath. Sakura knelt down beside him, her face streaked with tears of worry.

Etsuko let her kunai fall as she realized that the threat was past. Warily she skirted around the two genin and approached the fallen sound ninjas. "Looks like you guys lucked out on this one," she said coldly. "You are still alive."

"Aw, great!" Raiden moped as he pulled an earth scroll out of the dead sound ninja's muck covered pack. "All this work for _nothing_."

"Give it to that team," Etsuko swung her head towards Sasuke. "We are through here."

Raiden's eyes widened. "Whoah, wait a minute - what did you say?"

Etsuko reached down and hoisted Zaku over her shoulders. "We are done. As far as I am concerned you two passed. I will file this in a report to Satoru and tell him you can continue on to further training."

"But we didn't finish the exams!" Raiden stammered.

Etsuko ignored him. "Takehiko, what is your report?"

"They should all be fine," Takehiko nodded as he finished examining Naruto. "They're all beat up and low on chakra, but they'll live."

"Good," Etsuko nodded. "Raiden, take that other girl from the sound village. We need to turn these two in to the Hokage."

"We're not finishing the test?" Takihiko asked in confusion.

Etsuko rolled her eyes in exhasperation. "I just went through this. No. Come on, we need to get going."

"But what about the purple freak?" Raiden continued to pester as Etsuko walked away. "The heaven scroll! What about that?"

"Come _on_, Raiden!" Etsuko called. Raiden and Takehiko exchanged a helpless shrug and followed her.

"_That_ was the weirdest thing I've ever seen," Shikamaru scratched his head. He sighed. "This is such a drag."

"Hey!" Choji called out to Naoko's team, "You guys okay?" He and Shikamaru ran to Naruto, while Ino held out a hand to help Naoko to her feet.

Naoko almost took it, then grinned sheepishly and stood by herself. She still had no gloves to cover her bare skin, and didn't want to make Ino's team angry by absorbing their leader's chakra.

"What did you manage to do to yourself this time?" Ino complained as she watched Naoko stumble to Sasuke.

Naoko ignored her and sat down next to her friend. Sasuke was shaking like a leaf, his usual composure gone.

"Just what _am_ I?" he stammered.

Naoko chewed on her lip, not sure how to respond. "It's okay, Sas," she tried to reassure him. "Everything's over now."

Abruptly the silence in the forest was broken by Naruto's screaming. Naoko twirled around too fast and shot the blonde genin a glare when she fell backwards.

Naruto looked around in confusion, then belly flopped to the ground. "Everybody hide!" he shouted. "Get down! That ninja, where could she be hiding?"

"Naruto?" Sakura said in a concerned tone.

"You really are one of a kind, aren't you," Shikamaru droned as Choji tapped the lump on Naruto's head. "And I mean, the _kind_ that gets on my nerves."

Naruto's eyes narrowed before he began screeching again. "Oh, NO! Sakura! Sakura, Sakura, something happened to - "

"What?" Sakura asked queezily as Naruto ran forward.

"Something serious happened to your - to your _hair_!" Naruto cried hoarsely.

"Oh, that's all," Sakura responded softly as she fingered the ragged ends. "I just wanted to... change my look. I like it better long, but when I'm in the forest like this and I'm moving around all the time, it gets in the way too much."

"Well, it looks nicer when it's shorter," Naoko offered.

Sakura smiled slightly, but she appeared to be unconvinced.

"So what's your story?" Naruto demanded of Shikamaru and Choji. "Why are you here in the first place? What's going on around here?"

Naoko sighed in exhasperation. "Naruto..."

Shikamaru and Choji groaned. "Explaining everything to you is going to be such a pain," Shikamaru sighed.

"Everyone... just showed up to help," Sakura answered.

"What?" Naruto gasped.

Meanwhile Tenten had appeared, and pleasantly woke Rock Lee by shaking him and screaming in his face. Naoko grimaced. _At least she's not __**my**__ teammate._

Naruto ran up to Lee as Tenten began lecturing the green clad genin for running off. "Ah-hah! I know you, Bushy Brow!"

"Hey, knock it off! You'd better not say anything bad about Lee!" Sakura shouted as she punched Naruto in the face and sent him spinning through the air. She turned to the others. "Lee? Thank you. Because of you, I was able to stand up for myself, and I've become a little stronger."

Naoko looked between the two, remembering Lee's declaration of love. Was Sakura warming up to him by any chance?

Rock Lee whimpered and wiped his eyes. "Thank you, Sakura. But I guess my efforts alone were not good enough." His voice calmed as he looked away. "So Sasuke, you are as good as your reputation. Just what you would expect from the Uchiha clan. To chase off those ninja you must be very strong. Not like me, I just got beaten to a pulp."

Naoko rolled her eyes and stumbled to her feet. "That's right, lay it on the _Uchiha!_" she growled in exhasperation.

"Naoko?" Sakura called in confusion.

Naoko ignored her and continued muttering. "Nothing for the Urutymaya, not even a 'wow, at least you talk to dead guys and are part of a nonexistant clan!' Oye, I've had enough of this Uchiha thing!"

Shikamaru and Choji were giving her blank stares.

"A-are you okay?" Choji asked.

Naoko rolled her eyes. "Do I _look_ okay to you?" she demanded, earning a cringe from the two boys.

"Hey, Sakura!" Ino called. "Come over here! I wanna fix your hair!"

Naoko rolled her eyes and flipped her battered phone open. Glancing through the messages, she found twelve missed calls. _Shisui again._

_"Hellooo! Naoko! Dude, pick up the phone, I'm trying to call you!"_

_ "Naoko! Pick up the phone! Oye, does this girl never answer her messages?"_

_ "Helloooooo! Naoko, I've got to talk to you about something! It has to do with the teams. Call me, kay?"_

_ "Still waiting for you to pick up the phone."_

_ "NAOKO, PICK UP THE PHONE FOR ONCE!"_

_ "Still waiting."_

_ "Ring, ring. This is your phone! Pick it up!"_

_ "You are ignoring me, aren't you?"_

_ "Dude, are you in some kind of trouble or something, because this is really getting on my nerves!"_

_ "Do you never read your text messages?"_

_ "Hello, it's Fishhead! Calling! Pick up the phone, please!"_

_ "Hey, this is Shisui again. Sorry for the hit and run thing with the Sound Ninja attack, but as you can understand I __**really**__ can't take any chances of people seeing me. Talk to you about it later, call me, kay?"_

Naoko rolled her eyes and typed a quick text. _"Do not call this number a.g.a.i.n."_ Satisfied that it would deal with Shisui for the time being, Naoko flipped her phone shut and returned to the others.

She had a bad feeling she hadn't lost the insane Uchiha ghost yet.

...

**Shisui: "Why did you have to make me a bad guy? I was starting out to be such a hero!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Relax, I'll explain later! Besides, I didn't you term you as evil. Naoko is the one shouting at you."**

** Shisui: "Oh yeah? Well last I knew **_**Naoko**_** wasn't the author!"**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Now wait just a cotton-pickin' second!"**

** Nathaniel: "Really? Can't you two keep it down for once?" **

** Shisui: (Sticks his tongue out and turns back to the computer screen. Smirks and reads script) "I told you I'd make it into the story somehow."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "Okay, that's it, you're so going to die in the next chapter!"**

** Shisui: "How can you kill someone who's supposed to be dead in the first place?"**

** Nathaniel: "Moving on! Review please."**

** Shisui: "And that's just the start of it. Now I happen to feel kind of left out in this story..."**

** A Tragic Galaxy: (Moans and puts head on table as Shisui prattles on) "Why me?"**

** Shisui: "... which completely honorifically specifically intstitutionally implies that I get a leading roll in the next two hundred chapters. Oh, and by the way readers, review if you would like me to show up more often."**

** Nathaniel: "Shisui, get out of the room! You're overdoing the ending commentary!" **

** Shisui: "Crazy Uchihas rock!" (Runs off)**

** A Tragic Galaxy: "I **_**so**_** need a life."**

** Nathaniel: "Review."**


End file.
